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Knicks found blueprint to come all the way back, beat Pacers, but can they execute it two more times?

Thursday night the Knicks followed the blueprint.

The question now is, can they repeat it two more times?

Throughout the Eastern Conference Finals, we've been waiting for New York to ramp up its defensive intensity across the board, to be the more physical team and drag the game down into the mud, where it could win. Instead, for three of the four games, Indiana was the more physical team. Surprisingly, Tyrese Haliburton has been more physical than Jalen Brunson. The Pacers were given enough room to run their free-flowing offense, which is elite when Haliburton is scoring, then driving into the paint and then finding cutters or kicking out to shooters.

Thursday night, the Knicks brought a swarming defensive energy they had only shown in flashes this series — they were up in the bodies of the Pacers, bothering them. Mitchell Robinson helped lead that, but even the bench guys like Landry Shamet — not a guy exactly known for his defense — were swarming guys and making plays.

"I'm just very proud of what we did," Brunson said after the game. "Now, we've just got to replicate it in the first quarter of next game and then continue to build on that."

Knicks comeback blueprint

Brunson is right. For the Knicks to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since The Matrix was in theaters, they need to build off of what we saw in Game 5 and be better than they were in that blowout win. New York needs to execute under pressure and take care of the ball, limiting turnovers (they still had 15 Thursday night), and they need guys like OG Anunoby (3-of-14 in Game 5) and Duece McBride (3-of-10 on open 3-pointers in this series) to step up and hit shots.

New York also needs to carry over a lot of things from Game 5. This attacking version of Karl-Anthony Towns has to show up.

On the other end of the court, Brunson and the Knicks were more aggressive in taking the ball out of Haliburton's hands, and in the face of that, Haliburton was passive. He was not seeking out his shots — he took just seven for the game — instead, he was driving to pass, which threw the entire team off balance. With Haliburton struggling, nobody else stepped up. Myles Turner turned the ball over twice early and was off all night. Indiana's execution was lacking in the way the Knicks' execution was lacking in other games this series. Thursday night it was Indiana being sloppy with the ball.

(Note to the Pacers: If you thought the Knicks' physical, swarming defense was an issue, I'd like to introduce you to the Oklahoma City Thunder. You ain't seen nothing yet.)

For the Knicks to win this series, that defensive pressure has to keep Indiana on its heels and off-balance. The Pacers will play better at home, New York can't let up.

Tom Thibodeau must continue to trust his bench — including Shamet, Hart, Delon Wright, and Precious Achiuwa, whose minutes all matter in keeping their stars fresh.

Additionally, Brunson has to continue to be the best player on the court. He was the aggressor on this night and led the Knicks in getting downhill and scoring 60 points in the paint on 58.8% shooting. New York had eight and-1s in the game. Brunson was himself again.

Don't expect passivity from the Pacers at home in Game 6 on Saturday night — with the home crowd behind them, they should be able to match the desperation of the Knicks. It's tempting to say that Game 6 is Indiana's Game 7, that they have to close it out because they can't win a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden — except they did that just a year ago, when they blew out the Knicks by 21 in a Game 7 in Manhattan.

Still, the Pacers don't want a return trip to New York, Game 7s can be random. Indiana wants to close it out.

New York now has the blueprint to stop that and come all the way back and win the series. Whether they can execute it will be the question.

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Celtics player spotlight: Last chance for Jordan Walsh to earn larger role?

Celtics player spotlight: Last chance for Jordan Walsh to earn larger role? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jordan Walsh was the youngest member of the Boston Celtics each of the last two years.

Even though he showed signs of improvement this past season, we’re still waiting for the 2023 second-round pick to have that breakout moment.

Jayson Tatum’s injury and any offseason roster changes that are made could give Walsh more of an opportunity with the Celtics in the fall, but it will be up to him to seize it.

As we continue our “Celtics Player Spotlight” series, let’s recap Walsh’s 2024-25 season and analyze how he fits into Boston’s lineup for 2025-26:

2024-25 Season Recap

After playing in just nine games as a rookie, Walsh appeared in 52 contests in Year 2, including five of Boston’s 11 playoff matchups. He averaged 1.6 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 7.8 minutes per game.

Walsh scored 10-plus points in two games this season — Dec. 31 against the Raptors and the April 13 season finale versus the Hornets. He also tallied season highs in minutes (21) and rebounds (eight) in that matchup against Charlotte.

Walsh is a good defender with enough length and athleticism to defend multiple positions. He brings great energy to the court, too.

Contract details

Walsh has completed the first two years of his rookie contact. He has a salary cap hit of $2.21 million for the 2025-26 season, per Spotrac. His contract includes a team option for the 2026-27 campaign.

Potential roles for 2025-26

Scenario 1: Walsh improves as an outside shooter, plays larger role

Walsh’s defense is solid, but that alone won’t give him a larger role for the Celtics. They need scoring off the bench, and especially from the wing positions with Tatum potentially missing most or all of next season as he recovers from an Achilles injury.

Walsh has struggled to make an impact offensively with the Celtics. He has shot 36.7 percent from the floor, 26.6 percent on 3-pointers and 57.1 percent from the free throw line over two seasons. It’s not a large sample size and the volume of shot attempts is low, but there hasn’t been much to like from his offensive game so far.

If he improves his 3-point shooting, that should open up more minutes for him next season.

Scenario 2: Walsh doesn’t provide enough offense to justify more meaningful role

If Walsh is unable to stretch the floor as an outside shooter, or if he can’t produce offense in another way, then it’s hard to see how he earns a more prominent role in his third season.

If Walsh is unable to become a 3-and-D wing who can average 10-plus minutes per game, then it’s fair to wonder whether the Celtics will pick up his team option for the 2026-27 season. A wing who is a poor 3-point shooter doesn’t really fit with how the Celtics have played on offense under head coach Joe Mazzulla over the last three seasons.

Final thoughts

With a team option in his contract for 2026-27, the upcoming season might be Walsh’s best (and maybe last?) chance to carve out a consistent role for the Celtics.

His defense is definitely NBA-caliber, but he must make more of an impact offensively.

The Celtics, with an expensive roster as a team in the second apron, need low-cost players to play meaningful roles. Walsh stepping up in Year 3 would benefit Boston tremendously.

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Adebayo hilariously revisits lockdown defensive play guarding Steph

Adebayo hilariously revisits lockdown defensive play guarding Steph originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There aren’t many players in the NBA who can lock down Warriors superstar Steph Curry.

So when Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo stopped Curry during a key play back in a Heat-Warriors game in the 2017-18 season, he still talks about it to this day.

Adebayo recently joined House of Highlights “The Reel” to break down his best highlights, and he detailed what went through his mind as he defended Curry.

“I remember that play, it was my rookie year,” Adebayo recalled. “And if you go back, I was telling Goran [Dragić] to go back to Steph because he was guarding Zaza Pachulia. So I was like, ‘Take Steph.’ And he was like, ‘Nah, I’m cool.’

“And it was just me and [Steph]. And I remember [Kevin Durant] being like, ‘Go at him. Get off.’ And I was like, ‘Nah, I can’t be embarrassed.’ So I got the stop.”

Adebayo applied the pressure on Curry, who pump-faked and dribble-penetrated before almost losing the ball out of bounds. Curry then was forced to pass the ball to Durant.

And even eight years later, Adebayo makes sure to remind Curry of that one play.

“Now I talk s–t to Steph every once in a while,” he said.

Adebayo, who has been an NBA All-Defensive selection five times, said he takes pride in being one of the few players in the league who can guard the one through five positions and, most of all, appreciates the league-wide respect from his peers.

But he should know what a little trash talk does to Curry. Good luck trying to do that again.

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Which offseason path should Celtics take? Here's what fans want to see

Which offseason path should Celtics take? Here's what fans want to see originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Change is coming to the Boston Celtics this offseason.

That’s the sobering reality for a team that fell to the New York Knicks in the second round of the NBA playoffs and lost Jayson Tatum to a ruptured Achilles that could sideline him most (if not all) of the 2025-26 season.

The Celtics are deep into the luxury tax and need to shed at least $20 million in salary this summer to get out of the second apron and avoid punitive penalties that would hamstring them from a roster-building and financial perspective.

Tatum’s injury, while devastating in the short term, could serve as an impetus for president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to make changes to a core that’s not getting any younger while better positioning the Celtics for success whenever Tatum returns to the court.

What might those changes look like? This week, our Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg laid out three potential paths that Boston could take this offseason, complete with hypothetical trades and objectives for each scenario. We then asked you to vote on which path you’d prefer, and the results were instructive for how Boston fans view this team’s short- and long-term future.

Below are brief recaps of Forsberg’s three paths, followed by the voting results.

Path No. 1: Threading the Needle

Objectives:

  • Get below the second apron by trimming $20-plus million in salary.
  • Remain a tax-paying team, but limit the total spend.
  • Keep much of the core intact … for now.
  • Remain competitive in the East, even with Tatum out indefinitely.
  • Identify and develop young, low-cost talent for rotation roles.

Road map:

  • Trade Jrue Holiday and Sam Hauser with limited financial return.
  • Build a frontcourt with limited funds.
  • Use draft assets to acquire young, low-cost talent.

Path No. 2: Full Reboot

Objectives:

  • Get out of the luxury tax by trimming $40+ million in salary this summer.
  • Complete the first of two years outside the luxury tax, with a goal of resetting restrictive repeater penalties.
  • Dismantle the current core in favor of younger players and draft assets.
  • Endure short-term pains for long-term rewards.

Road map:

  • Trade Jaylen Brown and/or Derrick White, along with other core pieces.
  • Fill out the roster with low-cost, high-upside talent.
  • Allow Jayson Tatum to rehab for the entirety of the 2025-26 season.
  • Embrace lottery status over playoff contention.

Path No. 3: The ‘Golden State Bridge’

Objectives:

  • Maintain much of the core, but understand the bumps ahead.
  • Use interest in veteran pieces to generate future assets.

Road map:

  • Maintain a core of Tatum, Brown and Derrick White.
  • Load manage the stars over the next two seasons and lean into youth.
  • Focus on returning to title contention for 2027-28 season.

Now let’s get to the voting results.

Twitter/X poll results

  • ‘Golden State Bridge’: 42 percent
  • Threading the Needle: 40 percent
  • Full Reboot: 18 percent

YouTube poll results

  • Threading the Needle: 62 percent
  • ‘Golden State Bridge’: 23 percent
  • Full Reboot: 16 percent

Not surprisingly, the “full reboot” path — which would involve trading Jaylen Brown and/or Derrick White — was the least popular among fans. Brown is a franchise cornerstone and 2024 NBA Finals MVP who is deeply involved in the Boston community, so it makes sense why fans wouldn’t want to part with him or White (a fan favorite in his own right), even if there’s the potential for long-term gain.

Opinions were somewhat split on the other two paths, but “threading the needle” seemed to be the overall favorite, with the Celtics dealing Jrue Holiday and Sam Hauser to get under the second apron while managing to keep the rest of the core intact.

Which path the C’s choose ultimately may come down to the offers they receive on the trade market. But this exercise reinforces the idea that it would be very painful for Boston to completely blow it up this offseason.

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NBA star Zion Williamson accused of rape in lawsuit

NBA star Zion Williamson accused of rape in lawsuit originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

A lawsuit was filed against NBA star Zion Williamson on Friday, accusing the New Orleans Pelicans player of raping and physically abusing a woman who claims they dated from 2018 to 2023.

The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by a woman who will proceed anonymously with the suit as Jane Doe. She accused Williamson, 24, of raping her in his Beverly Hills home in September 2020, and again at an unspecified location in Beverly Hills a month later.

In a statement, Williamson’s attorney, Michael A. Balascio, described the woman’s lawsuit as an “extortion attempt.”

“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them,” he said. “The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless.”

The NBA and the Pelicans did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In the first incident, the lawsuit alleges, Williamson raped the woman when she tried going to sleep. It states that when she attempted to go to sleep, Williamson called her “stuck up” and “a b****” and told her she could not go to sleep until she had sex with him.

When she refused, Williamson allegedly “pinned Plaintiff down on the bed with her hands behind her back and raped her,” the lawsuit states.

In the second incident, the lawsuit states, Williamson allegedly raped the woman when she told him that she wanted to go to San Diego to visit a friend. It alleges that Williamson then “picked her up, threw her down to the ground, and pinned her shoulders down,” before assaulting her.

The lawsuit alleges that Williamson took the woman’s phone shortly after both encounters for an unspecified period so that she could not report the assaults.

It alleges that the incidents were not isolated, and that Williamson “continued to abuse, rape, assault, and batter” the woman in multiple states, including California, Louisiana and Texas, until the relationship ended in 2023.

The lawsuit also alleges that Williamson threatened to pay his security to shoot her “in the head while the security guard was present and carrying a loaded firearm multiple times in Louisiana between 2020 and 2023.” Williamson also threatened to have the woman’s parents killed, the lawsuit states.

Williamson currently plays the power forward position for the Pelicans. He was the first overall NBA draft pick in 2019 after playing for the Duke Blue Devils in college.

NBC News’ Austin Mullen contributed.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

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SEE IT: NYC back pages react to Knicks forcing Game 6 in Eastern Conference Finals

Behind a stifling defense and huge performances from Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks defeated the Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, forcing Game 6 on Saturday night in Indiana.

Here's how the NYC back pages reacted...

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Will Celtics find a good player with No. 28 pick? What recent history says

Will Celtics find a good player with No. 28 pick? What recent history says originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics had the third-best record in the NBA this season, which gave them the No. 28 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft on June 24.

The odds of the C’s finding a star player at No. 28 are obviously low. But that doesn’t mean quality players don’t exist in this range. Every year there are usually a couple rotation players to be found in the bottom third of the first round and top third of the second round.

For example, the Celtics got center Robert Williams III at No. 27 in 2019 and guard Payton Pritchard at No. 26 in 2020.

The Celtics have picked at No. 28 once this century. It was in 2015 when they selected R.J. Hunter, who had a very good NCAA Tournament run with Georgia State. Hunter appeared in just 45 career NBA games and hasn’t played since 2019.

What can fans expect with the No. 28 pick? How many of these players contribute a decent amount of minutes and/or produce at a decent level offensively?

Here’s a look at every player taken in this spot since 2000. After this list, we’ll analyze how many of them turned out to be “hits”.

  • 2024: Ryan Dunn, Nuggets (traded to Suns)
  • 2023: Brice Sensabaugh, Jazz
  • 2022: Patrick Baldwin Jr., Warriors
  • 2021: Jaden Springer, 76ers
  • 2020: Jaden McDaniels, Lakers (traded to Timberwolves)
  • 2019: Jordan Poole, Warriors
  • 2018: Jacob Evans, Warriors
  • 2017: Tony Bradley, Lakers (traded to Jazz)
  • 2016: Skal Labissière, Suns
  • 2015: R.J. Hunter, Celtics
  • 2014: C.J. Wilcox, Clippers
  • 2013: Livio Jean-Charles, Spurs
  • 2012: Perry Jones, Thunder
  • 2011: Norris Cole, Bulls (traded to Heat)
  • 2010: Greivis Vásquez, Grizzlies
  • 2009: Wayne Ellington, Timberwolves
  • 2008: Donte Greene, Grizzlies (traded to Kings)
  • 2007: Tiago Splitter, Spurs
  • 2006: Maurice Ager, Mavericks
  • 2005: Ian Mahinmi, Spurs
  • 2004: Beno Udrih, Spurs
  • 2003: Leandro Barbosa, Spurs (traded to Suns)
  • 2002: Dan Dickau, Kings (traded to Hawks)
  • 2001: Tony Parker, Spurs
  • 2000: Erick Barkley, Trail Blazers

Tony Parker is easily the best player on this list. He put together a Hall of Fame career with six All-Star appearances, four All-NBA selections and four championships. He was a key piece in the Spurs dynasty.

Jordan Poole played an important role for the 2022 Golden State Warriors team that won the NBA Finals. Jaden McDaniels has become one of the league’s top wing defenders for the Timberwolves, who have reached the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons.

Overall, eight of the last 25 players taken No. 28 overall have averaged 20-plus minutes per game in their careers. Anyone who plays that many minutes per game is a real part of the rotation, and ultimately, that’s what teams are looking for with a pick this late in Round 1. Eleven of the last 25 players selected at No. 28 averaged at least seven points per game in their careers.

Five players selected at No. 28 since 2000 have scored nine or more points per game in their career.

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If the Celtics found a player similar to Poole, Parker, Barbosa or McDaniels with the No. 28 pick, that would equal a successful draft for them. They don’t need a star player with this pick, but they need someone who can defend, play multiple positions and provide some offense off the bench.

The Celtics have an expensive roster as a team in the second apron. They are limited in how they can add players to the roster. Therefore, the best and most cost-effective way to bring in talent is through the draft, which makes the 2025 draft so important for team president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and his front office staff.

Boston also owns the second pick of the second round (No. 32 overall) in the 2025 NBA Draft, which begins June 25.

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Tom Thibodeau’s mid-series adjustments, expanded rotation key in Knicks' Game 5 win over Pacers

Jalen Brunson gave the Knicks life early in Game 5. He hit six of his first eight shots, scoring 14 points in the opening nine minutes. He was even better to start the second half, hitting five of six shots for 16 points in the frame.

His scoring was one of the main reasons the Knicks live to fight another day in these Eastern Conference Finals.

But he couldn’t do it by himself. In those first and third-quarter scoring barrages, Brunson’s fellow starters supported him with strong team defense.

The Knick starting unit outscored the Pacers by 18 in 13 minutes on Thursday.

They held Indiana to 6 of 20 shooting in those 13 minutes with an effective field goal percentage of 37.5.

If the Knicks can get off to a strong start in Game 6 on Saturday and force a Game 7, Tom Thibodeau’s mid-series adjustments will be celebrated.

As it is, Thibodeau’s lineup changes have changed the series.

The new starting unit of Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson was key in Game 5. Thibodeau’s expanded rotation was key in both Knicks’ wins against Indiana.

Landry Shamet and Delon Wright helped stabilize things for the Knicks in the second half of Game 3. They played a similar role in Game 5.

Lineups featuring Shamet, Wright and Towns were a combined +8 on Thursday. Along with Mikal Bridges, Shamet and Wright and the rest of the Knick backcourt seemed to bother Indiana’s top offensive weapons on Thursday. Tyrese Haliburton took just eight shots. Pascal Siakam had, by his standards, a quiet game.

If Game 5 is any indication, Thibodeau may have found something with the new lineup/rotation.

“I thought the aggressiveness of Jalen and KAT to start offensively and then the group being tied together defensively (was significant). Then when the bench came in, they did the same thing,” Thibodeau said after the game.

If the Knicks can do the same things on Saturday, it will give them a good chance to bring the series back to New York for a Game 7.

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Knicks beat Pacers to keep NBA Finals hopes alive

Jalen Brunson celebrates scoring a three-pointer for the New York Knicks against the Indiana Pacers
Jalen Brunson converted 12 of his 18 attempts [Reuters]

Jalen Brunson scored 32 points as the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers to keep alive their hopes of reaching the NBA Finals.

Indiana remain one win from clinching the Eastern Conference finals but the Knicks claimed a 111-94 home win to cut their deficit to 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.

Karl-Anthony Towns played through a knee injury to record 24 points and 13 rebounds as the third-seeded Knicks led throughout.

"I looked at the game and it was 'game five, do or die'," Towns said. "That was pretty much all I needed to see."

Bennedict Mathurin registered 23 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the fourth-seeded Pacers, who host game six on Saturday (01:00 BST, Sunday).

"We have no room for error," Towns added. "Our backs are against the wall and every game is do or die. If we don't bring that energy or execution, our season will be over."

Towns had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the first half as New York led 56-45 at half-time, before pushing their advantage to 90-73 heading into the final quarter.

Indiana crept to within 12 points with just over eight minutes remaining, but Josh Hart answered with consecutive baskets and Mikal Bridges hit a jumper to make it an 18-point margin.

Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton had 30 points and 15 assists in game four but was kept to eight points on Thursday, with six assists.

"Rough night for me," said the 25-year-old point guard. "I've got to be better setting the tone and getting downhill. I feel I didn't do a great job of that.

"They picked up the pressure a little bit and applied more as the game went on. Put it on me, I've got to be better in game six."

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Knicks’ ‘tied together’ defense shuts down Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers in Game 5

You'd be hard-pressed to find a team that plays better than the Knicks with their backs against the wall.

Just one loss away from their season coming to an end, the Knicks stepped up with arguably their best game of the Eastern Conference Finals to this point. They outhustled, outdefended and were simply better than the Pacers on Thursday night in their 111-94 win. While a lot of the credit will go to the offense -- Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns did combine to score 56 points -- it was their defense that deserves its flowers.

Including Thursday, the Pacers played 15 games this postseason and Game 5 was the first time they were held under 100 points.

"I thought we came out great defensively," OG Anunoby said after the game. "We were getting stops, flying up and down the floor."

Not only did the Pacers score below 100, they shot just 40.5 percent (33 percent from three) and turned the ball over 20 times. Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers star who has become the face of dismay for Knicks fans, had his worst game of the series. The guard scored just eight points on 2 of 7 shooting after averaging 24 points per game entering Game 5. He was a minus-23 on the court. Pascal Siakam was the only starter to score in double figures, with bench players Obi Toppin (11) and Benedict Mathurin (23) the only others to hit that mark.

So, what changed? Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau didn't say it was just one thing, but praised his team's defense as a whole.

"Sometimes it’s a combination of [Haliburton] missing some shots he normally makes, but our guys were tied together and tried to make him work for everything," he said. "That’s what you have to do. You have to fight to win every possession."

"I feel like we picked up our intensity a little bit. I think we paid attention to detail better as a team," Brunson said of the defense on Haliburton. "The little things go a long way. Paying attention to the minute things, and things that don’t seem like a huge deal, they really do help.”

After Game 4's loss, a lot of the attention was on Brunson and how the Pacers seemingly were targeting him on defense. Forcing the All-Star to foul and exploit his defensive weaknesses.

If that was the Pacers' plan in Game 5, it didn't work, especially when Haliburton had the ball.

"[Brunson] did an amazing job. That's something that cap always does - he answers the call every time," Towns said of Brunson's defense. "We win as a team, we lose as a team. I'm never going to allow cap -- he does so much for us and we ask so much out of him every game -- he’s never going to go out there and take all the blame. We all do. Family and brothers never let someone go out there and take all the blame. We all got to be willing to lose together and win together."

"That's our guy, we know he's going to bring it offensively but I feel like he dug in defensively and had great intensity," Josh Hart said of Brunson.

"He's our leader," Miles McBride said. "When we see he's playing like that, we all just want to do anything we can to get the win."

Haliburton was asked if he was surprised by how the Knicks turned up the ball pressure on him and the team, and the Pacers star said he wasn't and wants to look ahead to Game 6.

"We’re up 3-1, their season was on the line today. I understand they are going to come out and play hard, increase the pressure, do whatever they have to do to win," Haliburton said. "And they did a great job of that and now it’s up to us to respond in Game 6. When you get here to this point, there’s no such thing as surprises... Kudos to them, they played better than us today. We've got to be prepared for Game 6."

The Knicks will look to shut down Haliburton and the Pacers offense again in Game 6 on Saturday night to force a decisive Game 7 back at MSG.

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Landry Shamet's message to Knicks fans after Game 5 win over Pacers: 'We got more to do'

The Knicks kept their season alive by beating the Pacers 111-94 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals as stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns led the way to force a Game 6 on Saturday back in Indiana.

While the duo combined for 56 points on 22-for-38 shooting and got plenty of cheers from The Garden crowd, guard Landry Shamet also heard his name chanted by Knicks fans on Thursday night, including a standing ovation -- and deservingly so.

Shamet played 14 minutes in Game 5, the most he's played in a playoff game this year, and scored five points to go along with two assists and an offensive rebound. After the win, the 28-year-old gave his appreciation back to the New York fans for their support throughout the must-win game and all season long.

"I love New York. I love these fans. I've seen how they ride the wave with us, the highs, the lows," Shamet said. "It's just important for me to give everything I've got to them. I appreciate it. We got more to do."

He credited Brunson and Towns for carrying the team and setting the tone offensively, but his defense and energy off the bench pressured the Pacers guards and helped create a couple of turnovers. Overall, the Knicks forced a series-high 20 turnovers against the Pacers in the Game 5 win, as Shamet noted their awareness and energy all night long.

"I think just our intensity, our attention to detail, that's a sense of desperation which is what we needed," Shamet said. "And we're gonna have to go do it again. That was the biggest thing, just our energy. Our communication was great. Did a better job in transition. Still, some other things we got to clean up, we'll get to that tomorrow."

Shamet was asked if they could tell the Pacers were frustrated by the Knicks defense, but said that's not their job. Instead, the team will look to replicate their performance on Saturday in Game 6 to force a Game 7.

"I could sense a competitive game, there's waves like I said," Shamet said. "Our job is not really to pay too much attention to that. We just got to focus on us and do what we can do. We know they're a hard team to guard, play fast. If we take care of what we have to take care of, hopefully we see results like tonight."

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Brunson, Towns carry Knicks to 111-94 victory that cuts Pacers' series lead to 3-2

NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 13 rebounds despite a bruised left knee and the New York Knicks stayed alive in the Eastern Conference finals by beating the Indiana Pacers 111-94 on Thursday night in Game 5.

The Knicks won on their home floor for the first time in the series and prevented the Pacers from earning the second NBA Finals trip in franchise history. Indiana will try again Saturday night at home.

Knicks fans chanted “Knicks in 7! Knicks in 7!” in the final minutes as New York extended its first trip to the conference finals since 2000 and kept alive hopes of becoming the 14th team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series. No team has won a conference finals series after dropping the first two games at home.

Two nights after giving up 43 points in the first quarter, the Knicks held the Pacers to just 45 in the first half and limited Tyrese Haliburton, who had 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds Tuesday, to just eight points and six assists.

Brunson, outplayed by his point guard counterpart Tuesday, rebounded with his franchise-record 20th postseason game of 30 or more points with the Knicks.

Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 points off the bench for the Pacers, who had won six straight road games. Indiana shot just 40.5% from the field in by far its lowest-scoring game of the postseason.

Brunson scored 14 in the first quarter as the Knicks held a 27-23 lead - giving up 20 fewer points than in the first quarter of Game 4, when they trailed 43-35.

Towns, who was questionable to play after hurting his left knee in a collision late in Game 4, picked up the slack with 12 in the second, when Brunson was scoreless.

Brunson came back with the Knicks’ first eight of the third quarter as they opened a 20-point lead midway through the period. The Pacers cut that in half before New York regained control with a 12-0 burst, highlighted by Brunson’s four-point play, to make it 86-64.

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Defiant Knicks keep season alive with Game 5 win over Pacers in East finals

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) scores against the Indiana Pacers during the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.Photograph: Adam Hunger/AP

The Madison Square Garden crowd had waited all week for a spark. On Thursday night, they got a firestorm. With their season dangling by a thread, the New York Knicks delivered a wire-to-wire 111–94 beatdown of the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, keeping their playoff hopes alive and forcing a Game 6 in Indianapolis on Saturday.

Jalen Brunson scored 32 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 13 rebounds – despite a bruised left knee that had left his status uncertain until shortly before tipoff – as the Knicks trimmed the Pacers’ lead to 3–2 in the best-of-seven-games series and gave their home fans something to believe in.

Related: Anthony Edwards is 23, far from a failure – and not the next LeBron just yet

“It was do or die,” Towns said. “Nothing was going to stop me from playing this game.”

Brunson, held in check during a blowout loss in Game 4, bounced back in familiar fashion. He dropped 14 points in the first quarter alone, finishing 12-of-18 from the field and adding four assists in his 21st career playoff game with 30 or more points, extending a Knicks franchise record he set last week.

“We were just able to get stops early and we would convert,” Brunson said. “We just found a way.”

New York never trailed, flipping the script after a week of frustration that had included two home losses, one unprecedented collapse and a series deficit that left them staring down elimination. But the Game 5 version of the Knicks looked far more like the team that had been among the class of the East all year: tough, urgent, together.

The defense set the tone early. After surrendering 43 points in the first quarter of Game 4, the Knicks gave up just 23 in the opening frame Thursday and held Indiana to 45 at the intermission. Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers’ star playmaker who had posted a 30-point triple-double two nights earlier, was held to just eight points on 2-of-7 shooting with six assists.

“He didn’t get the same looks,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “Give their defense credit. They had a lot to do with that.”

Indiana’s other weapons couldn’t make up the difference. Bennedict Mathurin led the team with 23 points off the bench, but the Pacers as a whole struggled to find their rhythm. Game 2 hero Pascal Siakam had 15. Obi Toppin added 11. As a team, they shot just 40.5% from the field and coughed up 19 turnovers.

“We didn’t play with the level of force that we needed to,” Carlisle said. “To start the game, we didn’t have the right level of attitude necessary in this environment. It was a bad start.”

It was also the first time in these playoffs Indiana, who came in with a six-game road win streak, had been held under 100 points. After taking a 3-1 series lead on Tuesday’s behind Haliburton’s latest masterclass, the Pacers had looked like a team on the cusp of their second ever NBA finals appearance. But on Thursday, they looked rattled from the jump and New York took complete advantage.

Brunson keyed a 23–13 start in the first quarter, and when the Pacers briefly cut the deficit to four, the Knicks responded with a 14–2 second-quarter run to stretch their lead to 48–34. Towns, who scored 12 points in the period, helped New York take a 56–45 lead into half-time.

In the third, the Knicks poured it on. Brunson scored their first eight points of the quarter to build a 20-point cushion. Though Indiana briefly clawed back to within 10, a 12–0 New York run – capped by a Brunson four-point play and a Miles McBride jumper – restored order. By the time the fourth quarter began, the Knicks were up 90–73.

From there, the Garden crowd could begin to dream in full throat. Fans chanted “Knicks in seven! Knicks in seven!” as the home team closed the show, leading by as many as 20 and never letting Indiana seriously threaten down the stretch.

Josh Hart finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges added 11 and 12 points respectively. More than just scoring, though, it was the Knicks’ collective urgency and defensive cohesion that defined Game 5.

“We played to our standards,” Brunson said. “That’s what it’s going to take.”

With Thursday’s win, the Knicks extended their first trip to the conference finals since 2000 and moved one step closer to history. Only 13 teams in NBA history have overturned a 3–1 series deficit, with none having done it in a conference finals after losing the first two games at home.

Game 6 will be played Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Pacers will have another chance to clinch their first NBA finals berth since 2000, when they bowed to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. But if the Knicks can replicate Thursday’s effort, they will bring it back to the Garden for a winner-take-all Game 7 that few would have imagined just days ago.

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Knicks stave off elimination with 111-94 win over Pacers in Game 5 of Eastern Conference Finals

The Knicks led from start to finish and by as many as 22 points, fighting off elimination in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals with a 111-94 win over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Jalen Brunson set the tone early in the first quarter, making two quick buckets and finding Mitchell Robinson for an alley-oop jam. Karl-Anthony Towns (knee contusion), who was listed as questionable, missed his first couple of shots but hit a three-pointer and scored inside to ignite the Knicks. Brunson then made back-to-back three-pointers, giving him 12 points already, as the Knicks took a 23-12 lead with 4:23 left in the first quarter.

Indiana closed the quarter on a 10-2 run as New York held onto a 27-23 lead. Brunson had 14 points on an efficient 6-for-9 shooting, while Tyrese Haliburton had just two points (0-for-2 shooting) and the Pacers shot 36.8 percent (7-for-19) as a team. The Knicks won the turnover battle (one to the Pacers' three), but were outrebounded 12-10.

-- With Brunson on the bench, Towns opened the second quarter aggressively with a floater followed by an and-one layup. Despite hobbling, Towns grabbed the team's first offensive rebound, scored again, and then found an open Miles McBride for three on the next possession to go up 37-32. Towns and the Knicks grew the lead to 50-36 with contributions from Landry Shamet and Josh Hart. But the Pacers didn't fold, as Jarace Walker and Benedict Mathurin both hit three-pointers to cut the deficit to single-digits before the half.

New York outscored Indiana by seven points in the second quarter, taking a 56-45 lead into halftime. Towns had 17 points and 10 rebounds at the break (+17 in 19 minutes), while Brunson was held scoreless in the second quarter. Haliburton didn't make a basket, scoring just four points on foul shots. New York took a commanding 25-18 lead in the rebound column, but turned it over six times in the second quarter.

-- Brunson came out of the locker room firing with the team's first eight points of the third quarter and Robinson secured an offensive rebound plus the putback to go up 16 points. Towns and OG Anunoby extended the lead to 72-52, their biggest lead of the series. However, turnovers continued to be a problem for NY and then Towns picked up his fourth foul with 6:24 left in the third quarter, forcing him to the bench.

-- Down 74-62 with about four minutes remaining in the third, Rick Carlisle opted for the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy on Robinson, who missed both free throws. Tom Thibodeau didn't let Indiana keep that up, subbing in Precious Achiuwa for Robinson with Towns in foul trouble. Looking to stop the Pacers' mini-run, Brunson drilled a pull-up three-pointer, plus the foul on former Knick Obi Toppin, to give him 16 points in the third quarter alone and 30 total for the game. Achiuwa's layup and McBride's jumper capped off a 12-0 NY run and pushed the lead to 86-64.

Mikal Bridges nailed a mid-range jump shot with 1.1 seconds left in the third to give the Knicks a 90-73 lead heading into the fourth quarter. New York won the third quarter, 34-28. Halliburton's quiet night continued with just one basket in the third quarter.

-- T.J. McConnell, Pascal Siakam and Walker tried to step up with Halliburton on the bench, helping the Pacers go on a 9-0 run early in the final frame and cut into the Knicks' lead. Brunson and Towns had enough left in the tank to keep it going, as the duo both scored to go up 106-90 and become the first pair of teammates since the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in 2002 to each have 20+ points in the first five games of a conference finals.

The benches emptied for the final minute and a half, as New York held on for the 111-94 win and forced a Game 6. The Knicks held the Pacers to under 100 points, which is the first time Indiana has been held under the century mark in these playoffs.

-- Towns finished a game-high +26 with 24 points on 50 percent shooting, 13 rebounds, and three assists. Bridges had 12 points, Anunoby had 11, and Josh Hart had 12 points off the bench. Halliburton was held to eight points on 2-for-7 shooting. The Knicks won the rebound (45-40) and turnover battles (15 to the Pacers' 19). Indiana shot just 40.5 percent from the field, while New York went 49.4 percent shooting.

Game MVP: Jalen Brunson

The star guard stepped up in the must-win contest, doing all he could to keep the Knicks' season alive. He finished with 32 points on 12-for-18 shooting with five rebounds and five assists.

Highlights

What's next

Game 6 in Indiana between the Knicks and Pacers will take place on Saturday, May 31 at 8:00 p.m.

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Dominant: Thunder posting numbers never seen before on way to NBA Finals

Dominant: Thunder posting numbers never seen before on way to NBA Finals originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The manner in which the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched their spot in the NBA Finals seemed fitting.

It was a blowout.

Those have been the story of the Thunder season.

There hasn’t been a team in NBA history with at least 12 wins by 30 points or more in a season — or with four such wins in a single postseason — until now. The Thunder are putting together one of the most dominant years in league history in terms of outscoring opponents. The most recent entry on that list: a 124-94 romp over Minnesota to clinch the Western Conference title, a score that probably could have been a lot worse if the Thunder were so inclined.

“This isn’t our goal,” Thunder guard, NBA MVP and West finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We didn’t start the season like we want to win the West. We want to win the NBA championship. Now we are a step closer to our goal and we’re happy about that. But it’s still four more games to go win, four really hard games to go win and we have to be the best version of ourselves for four nights to reach the ultimate goal.”

A look inside the numbers paints a picture of how dominant this season has been for the Thunder:

They’re winning by 12.5 points per game

The biggest point differential per game in NBA history, including playoffs, was posted by the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks — who outscored teams by 12.6 points per game.

The Thunder are winning by 12.5 per game when counting the regular season and the playoffs (the NBA Cup championship game, by league rule, doesn’t figure into any official stats that are kept).

That’s the second-biggest rate in league history, for now.

They have beaten 28 of the 29 other NBA teams by double figures at least once this season. The only team to avoid that fate against the Thunder was Golden State, which actually outscored Oklahoma City by an average of 4.7 points per game in their head-to-head matchups.

“They embody everything it means to be a team,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “And so, they deserve this. They deserve the opportunity that we have now. I couldn’t be happier for them because they invest so much in their own games, but they also invest so much in each other and in the team. And I just think it’s a really uncommon thing in professional basketball that they’ve built.”

The 30-point wins

There have been 13 games this season involving the Thunder that were decided by 30 points or more. They won 12 of them.

Minnesota absolutely throttled the Thunder in Game 3 of the West finals, winning by 42 points. It was a rare blip for Oklahoma City.

The Thunder have had a win by at least 30 points in every series — a 51-point win over Memphis in Round 1, wins by 43 and 32 points over Denver in Round 2, and now the 30-pointer that eliminated Minnesota in Round 3.

Oklahoma City’s eight 30-point wins in the regular season came against teams that all missed the playoffs; Toronto, Washington, Sacramento, Phoenix, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Utah. But to do it four times in the playoffs speaks to the ability the Thunder have to simply run away from quality opposition.

“They’re a really good team,” Minnesota star Anthony Edwards said. “Everyone here knows it. It’s no surprise to nobody here that this team is pretty good.”

80 wins

Oklahoma City is now at 80 wins this season, including playoffs. It’s the 15th time in NBA history that a team has won 80 in a season.

If the Thunder win the NBA title, they’ll finish with 84 wins — a total that only the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (88), 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (87) and 1996-97 Bulls (84) have reached.

“Happy for the moment, but this isn’t our goal,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “This isn’t the end of the road. … One more series to try to go win.”