Brunson goes off for 44, Knicks take 3-2 series lead

A 44-point Jalen Brunson explosion has powered the Knicks to a 121-91 win over the Pacers in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden to take 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference Semi Finals series.

Brunson hit on 18 of his 35 field goal attempts and six of his seven free throws en route to his second-highest scoring outburst of the postseason.

He also had four rebounds, seven assists, and finished a game-high +31.

It marked his sixth 40-point playoff game as a Knick with the 27-year-old now trailing only Bernard King for the most in franchise history.

He was flanked by Josh Hart (18 pts, 11 reb), Isaiah Hartenstein (7 pts, 17 reb, 5 ast) Alec Burks (18 pts, 5/8 3P), and Miles McBride (17 pts, 3/7 3P) as the Knicks ran away with their third-straight home win.

The Knicks overcame a strong Pacers start to take a double-digit lead into the half courtesy of a 31-22 second quarter.

Despite a Myles Turner flurry to start the second half, the Knicks quickly regained control and saw their lead grow to as many as 31 with the benches playing close to the final three minutes of the game.

The Knicks annihilated the Pacers on the defensive (33 to 24) and offensive boards (20 to 5) with Hartenstein ripping down a dozen offensive rebounds in overwhelming fashion.

The Knicks also managed 24 points off 18 Pacer turnovers and won the paint battle 62 to 36.

A number of Pacers suffered through tough nights, including Tyrese Haliburton (13 pts, 1/4 3P), Aaron Nesmith (8 pts, 2/7 FG), and T.J. McConnell (7 pts, 3/8 FG).

Pascal Siakam (22 pts, 8 reb) led them in scoring whilst Turner (16 pts, 4/7 3P) continued his hot shooting.

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