Jalen Brunson continued his playoff dominance with a 43-point performance, leading the New York Knicks to victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The point guard became only the fourth player in NBA history to achieve four consecutive 40-point games in the postseason, joining legendary names like Jerry West, Michael Jordan, and Bernard King.
Teammates Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart provided vital support, with DiVincenzo hitting the tiebreaking 3-pointer and contributing 25 points, while Hart added a playoff career-high 24 points along with 13 rebounds and eight assists.
OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein each contributed 13 points to the win. Anunoby also grabbed nine rebounds.
The Pacers were led by Myles Turner, who notched 23 points. Pascal Siakam and T.J. McConnell added 19 and 18 points respectively. All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton scored just six points. He also had eight assists.
Indiana entered the final period holding a five-point lead, but allowed New York to score 39 points against the Pacers’ 30 in the fourth quarter to take the lead and open the series with a victory.
