JAKARTA - Jalen Brunson scored 44 points on Tuesday night May 14 or Wednesday morning WIB, for the hosts of the New York Knicks, while destroying the Indiana Pacers with a score of 121-91 in Game 5 from the Eastern Region semifinals.
Knicks, who lost Game 3 and 4 in Indianapolis, now leads 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. Nowcks will try to secure a ticket to the Eastern Region final with a away win at Game 6 on Friday, May 17.
Brunson, who has scored at least 40 points for the fifth time in 11 playoffs this season, also added seven assists and four rebounds in 43 minutes of play.
Josh Hart recorded 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks, and Isaiah Hartenstein won 17 rebounds. Then Hartenstein's 12 rebound offensives matched Charles Oakley's playoff record against the Chicago Bulls on May 15, 1994. Alec Burks scored 18 points off the bench while Miles McBride scored 17 points for the Knicks.
Nowcks is using a seven-player rotation in which Julius Randle (shoulder injury) is absent for the season, Mitchell Robinson ( ankle injury) is out until at least mid-June, and OG Ananoby ( hamstring injury) is absent for a third straight match.
"In my opinion, that's the hallmark of this team," said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau of his team's high energy level. "We're short of players all year round and this is how we play. We have to play as hard as we can in every possession of the ball and we have to keep doing it for 48 minutes. And we know if we stay and rebound, keep the ball, we'll have a good chance to win."
Pascal Sikam collected 22 points and eight rebounds for Pacers, while Myles Turner scored 16 points. Tyrese Haliburton, which averaged 23.8 points and 16.5 shots per game in the first four games of the series, scored only 13 points with 5-from-9 shots. Andrew Nembhard added 11 points.
Pacers took the lead at seven points in the first quarter before the Knicks took the lead by ending the period with a score of 22-10 to lead 38-32. Brunson scored 18 points in the second quarter, when New York took 18 points before entering halftime with 69-54.
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Turner scored three times a three-point shot without reply in the 64-second range to get Pacers close to 70-63 with 9:56 remaining in the third quarter. Donte DiVincenzo scored a single floater for Knicks and Nembhard divided two free shots before New York went 17-0. Indiana failed in nine consecutive shots and made three turnovers as the Knicks were 89-64 up with 3:13 remaining in that period.
Pacers started the fourth quarter 9-0 which covered six points from Siakam. However, Brunson scored seven points without reply in the 10-0 rate for the Knicks, locking up the game's win.
"A very bad effort, obviously," said Indiana coach Rick Myr. "Losed in every quarter. Destroyed in loose balls and rebounds. Giving 20 offensive rebounds and 29 more shots. So we are all responsible. But very embarrassing. Very embarrassing and hard lessons."
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