New York Stays Alive, Foils Indiana, 111-94
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 30 May 2025
New York stayed alive in its Eastern Conference Finals series with Indiana by foiling the Pacers, 111-94 in game five at the Madison Square Garden arena pegging at 2-3 their best of seven match up.
It was the Knicks first victory at home after dropping the opening two games at the MSG but it rekindled their hope for a slot at the NBA Finals opposite the Oklahoma City Thunder which had clinched the Western Conference title over Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1.
If New York manages to eventually win the series over Indiana, it will only be the 14th team out of close to 200 to have successfully come back from a 3-1 deficit. The Knicks were last in the Finals back in 2000 where they lost to the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers
The Knicks last won the NBA championship in 1972.
With their backs against the wall, the Knicks came out fast and strong and ran to big leads from the opening quarter with Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby immediately doing the usual damage and big man Mitchell Robinson anchoring the defense.
Meanwhile the players Indiana depended upon for scoring, Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith, were stymied by New York's physical double even triple teaming defense especially on the perimeter.
This prompted coach Jason Carlisle to just as soon draw from his reserves for fire-power and in went Bennedick Mathurin, Ben Sheppard, TJ McConnel and Obi Toppin. While he kept Siakam and Haliburton on the floor for most of the game, Carlisle benched Nesmith after scoring just 3 points in 16 minutes.
The Knicks starters were in full throttle as Brunson towed five others in double figures in posting leads as high as 22 points. Indiana came no closer than 10 points and never managed to pare the lead down to single digit.
With Towns, Josh Hart and Robinson combining for 29 rebounds, New York outrebounded Indiana and bludgeoned them in and around the basket scoring 60 points inside the paint.
Both teams shot less than 50 percent from the field with Indiana posting slightly better percentage from the two points area.
Brunson led the New York scoring parade with 32 points followed by Towns (24 ), Hart and Bridges scored 12 each while Anunoby had 11 points.
Mathurin topped for Indiana with 24 points and 9 rebounds. Siakam managed 15 points and just 6 rebounds while Toppin had 11 points They were the only Pacers in double figures.
Game six is set Saturday night (Sunday morning Manila time) back in Indiana.
If Indiana wins, it will be in only its second NBA Finals. Indiana was last in the Finals in 2012 which it lost to Lebron James' led Miami Heat.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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