1 week ago
Things were looking bleak for nan New York Knicks erstwhile Jalen Brunson, their MVP each season, didn’t play nan full 2nd 4th owed to injury.
But erstwhile Brunson returned successful nan 2nd half, nan Knicks returned to shape to conclusion nan Indiana Pacers successful Game 2, 130-121, to return a two-game lead successful their 2nd information bid successful nan NBA Playoffs.
New York battled backmost from 10 points down astatine halftime acknowledgment to Brunson’s efforts. He led nan Knicks erstwhile again successful nan points department, though he wasn’t capable to make it 5 consecutive postseason contests pinch 40 aliases much points.
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New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson (11) gestures aft making a 3-point changeable against nan Indiana Pacers during nan first half of Game 2 successful an NBA hoops second-round playoff bid Wednesday, May 8, 2024, successful New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Brunson vanished pinch 29 connected 11-of-18 shooting, including 3-of-6 from three-point territory, while dishing 5 assists and tallying 3 steals.
"I’m conscionable happy I did, to beryllium honorable pinch you. We recovered a way," Brunson said aft nan crippled to TNT astir returning to nan game.
When Brunson went out, Madison Square Garden couldn’t fig retired why and it led nan raucous Knicks religious to murmur. It was past wherever the Pacers started to alteration nan tune of nan game, outscoring nan Knicks pinch fastbreak buckets and wide unfastened three-pointers. They won nan 2nd 4th successful nan container score, 37-27, to people 73 first-half points.
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Tyrese Haliburton was a cardinal facet successful nan Pacers’ charge, arsenic he had a overmuch amended crippled offensively than Game 1, wherever he had conscionable six points pinch six full shots. Haliburton vanished pinch a game-high 34 points pinch 7 three-pointers made, including 5 successful nan first half.
But MSG erupted erstwhile Brunson came retired pinch a fewer minutes near successful halftime to lukewarm up, and aft testing that foot, he told caput coach Tom Thibodeau he was fresh to get backmost successful there.
Obi Toppin #1 of nan Indiana Pacers looks connected during nan crippled against nan New York Knicks during Round 2 Game 2 of nan 2024 NBA Playoffs connected May 8, 2024 astatine Madison Square Garden successful New York City, New York. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Knicks would extremity up destroying nan Pacers successful nan 3rd quarter, 36-18, to retake nan lead heading into nan fourth.
And while nan Pacers were relentless, Brunson and nan Knicks continued to do what they do best: get nan shot successful nan hands of their prima constituent guard, drawback violative rebounds and adjacent retired large games.
Now, while Brunson did return, nan Knicks didn’t time off this crippled without immoderate bad wounded news.
OG Anunoby, who had 28 points connected 10-of-19 shooting, was sprinting up nan tribunal for a chance astatine a fastbreak bucket erstwhile he came up limping adjacent nan basket. The Knicks ruled him retired nan remainder of nan crippled pinch a sore near hamstring, and they’ll surely dream it won’t persist into Friday’s Game 3 matchup connected nan road.
The Knicks were already without Mitchell Robinson, who recovered retired he re-injured nan ankle that kept him retired 50 games successful nan regular season. He’s apt going to miss nan remainder of nan playoffs.
But arsenic Thibodeau said up of nan 4th quarter, nan adjacent man conscionable has to measurement up. Donte DiVincenzo played his domiciled pinch 28 points, shooting 10-of-20 pinch six made threes, while Isaiah Hartenstein collected 12 rebounds and 14 points. Josh Hart besides led nan measurement successful nan rebounding section pinch 15 while totaling 19 points himself.
New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson (11) runs connected nan tribunal aft scoring against nan Indiana Pacers during nan first half of Game 2 successful an NBA hoops second-round playoff bid Wednesday, May 8, 2024, successful New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
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For nan Pacers, Andrew Nembhard had 15 points connected 7-of-9 shooting, while Obi Toppin led nan measurement disconnected nan chair pinch 20 points against his erstwhile team. T.J. McConnell was besides pestering Brunson erstwhile he returned successful nan 2nd half connected nan protect broadside of nan ball. Offensively, he had 10 points and a team-high 12 assists.
The bid now heads to Indianapolis, wherever nan Pacers person their backs up against nan walls a spot down 2 games to nary arsenic nan Knicks fought done injuries to return different crippled astatine home.
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