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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