Noooo brother, what’s wrong with Brunson?
NEW YORK — Fans at Madison Square Garden saw a shift in their team a little more than halfway through the first quarter Tuesday, when the Knicks began an 18-7 run against the Pacers to close the period.
But guard Miles McBride, whose insertion into New York’s starting lineup gave the team a tangible lift, said the boost took place far before that.
“I think the shift started in the locker room in Indiana. We talked about it and knew we had to respond,” McBride said, referring to the players-only meeting the Knicks held after their embarrassing 32-point loss in Game 4 on Sunday.
The result was the polar opposite in Game 5: The Knicks drilled Indiana 121-91 to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. They’ll travel to Indianapolis with an opportunity to close out the Pacers and advance to their first Eastern Conference finals since 2000 on Friday night.
Jalen Brunson shook off an awful Game 4 showing to again star for the Knicks, notching 44 points and seven assists. It marked his fifth time scoring at least 40 in the postseason, giving him the most such performances in a single postseason since LeBron James had eight back in 2018.
