NBA: Knicks secure 121-117 win over Pacers in Game 1 of Eastern Conference semis
NEW YORK - It's becoming a regular sight to see Jalen Brunson dominate with 40-plus points. And last night was no different at the Garden. Knicks star Jalen Brunson's 43 points were instrumental in securing the team's first win of the Eastern Conference semis.
Brunson became the fourth player in NBA history with four straight 40-point games in the postseason, and the cherry on the top was defeating the Indiana Pacers 121-117. Brunson joins Hall of Famers Jerry West, who had six consecutive 40-point games in the postseason, and Michael Jordan and Bernard King (both with four). Jordan did it in the 1993 NBA Finals.
Brunson reflected post-game on what it took to secure the W and humbly deflects from the 43 points, sharing that 'little things can go a long way.'
"The little things can go a long way," Brunson said. "So yeah, the 40 points are cool and all, but it's the little things that help us win games like that. So, I'm just happy to have the group of guys that I do."
It was a gritty Game 1 at The Garden, where the intensity never diminished from start to finish. Fans were on the edge of their seats as Brunson went turbo mode and scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, closing the Pacers' nine-point lead. But it was Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo's tiebreaking 3-pointer with only 40 seconds remaining on the clock had the arena to their feet. DiVincenzo finished the game with 25 points and three rebounds. In the final nail-biting seconds, the Pacers cut it to one, but Myles Turner was called for an offensive foul when DiVincenzo ran into him. The controversial call caused social media to go into a frenzy. But does it ever come down to one call? No. It was the Knicks' team effort that brought the W. Josh Hart a playoff career-high 24 points and added 13 rebounds and eight assists playing all 48 minutes. DiVincenzo scored 25 points in 44 minutes, and Brunson scored 43 points in 43 1/2 minutes.
In short, the Pacers came up short. Brunson soundly outplayed fellow All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, the NBA's assists leader who finished with six points and eight assists after being listed as questionable with back spasms.
The No. 2-seeded Knicks will host Game 2 on Wednesday, and the anticipation is palpable. Will Brunson continue his scoring spree? Will the Pacers bounce back? The excitement is building up.
So, who you got?!
