- New York Knicks beat Indiana Pacers 111:94 in ECF Game 5 at Madison Square Garden
- The series now stands at 3–2 for Indiana, who need one more win to reach the NBA Finals
- Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 32 points as Towns and Hart both posted double-doubles
Key Takeaways:
The New York Knicks defeated the Indiana Pacers 111:94 (27:23, 29:22, 34:28, 21:21) in Game 5 of their series, played at the legendary Madison Square Garden. With this win, the Knicks cut their deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals to 2–3, as Indiana now needs just one more victory to become Eastern Conference champions and play in the Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. If New York wants to overcome the Pacers, they will have to win both of the remaining games.
needed it. GOT IT. pic.twitter.com/fwp57YHo5d
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 30, 2025
Game 5 began with a strong run from the hosts, who quickly went up 10:3, with the lead reaching double digits at 23:13. Ultimately, the Knicks held a lead of only four points at the end of the first quarter, 27:23. They continued to build on their advantage methodically in the second quarter, extending it to 14 points at 48:34. Indiana Pacers could not reduce the gap before halftime and trailed 45:56.
The Knicks practically sealed the outcome in the third quarter, going up by 20 points at 72:52. The period saw both teams trade strong runs, but heading into the final 12 minutes of basketball at Madison Square Garden, the hosts led 90:73. Indiana failed to cut the deficit below 15 points during the fourth quarter and lost 94:111.
The driving force behind the Knicks’ success was Jalen Brunson, who poured in 32 points. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with a double-double of 24 points and 13 rebounds. Mikal Bridges contributed 12, as did Josh Hart, who also grabbed 10 boards for a double-double.
Indiana’s top scorer was Bennedict Mathurin with 23 points and 9 rebounds. Pascal Siakam ended the game with 15 points, while Obi Toppin added 11 off the bench.