Jalen Brunson didn’t mince words after the New York Knicks’ 130-121 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
“We were just playing catch-up,” Brunson said postgame, pointing to New York’s defensive struggles in the opening quarter when Indiana poured in 43 points. “They came with energy and physicality and set the tone.”
The Pacers’ relentless pace and execution left the Knicks on their heels, especially early, with Tyrese Haliburton delivering a historic 32-point triple-double without committing a single turnover.
Despite scoring 31 points and dishing out five assists, Brunson acknowledged the team’s poor ball security. “A lot of them are stuff that we could control,” he said about New York’s 17 turnovers, which led to 20 Indiana points. “Passive turnovers is not us.”
Brunson also took responsibility for breakdowns on defense, especially against Haliburton. “Not good enough,” he said when asked about guarding the Pacers guard in screen situations. “There has to be a difference on my part.”
Karl-Anthony Towns, who added 24 points and 12 rebounds, backed Brunson while emphasizing team accountability. “It’s not just him—it’s all of us,” Towns said. “We all got to do a better job of making it difficult for each one of them to score.”
Brunson highlighted the team’s inconsistency in staying within their coverage assignments. “We got to do a better job of just not being in rotation,” he said, citing Indiana’s off-ball movement and timely passes.
Despite losing the rebounding battle, Indiana’s 51.1 percent shooting and 40.6 percent from three overwhelmed a Knicks squad that struggled to string together stops.
When asked about New York’s ability to respond under pressure heading into a must-win Game 5, Brunson was direct. “Nothing else matters at this point. You got to give it your all. It’s that simple.”
Towns echoed the urgency. “We’ve been a team that has found a way to do the impossible,” he said. “Now we have to be in one of the biggest fights of our lives.”
The Pacers now lead the series 3-1 and are one win away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000.
Game 5 tips off Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks will try to extend their season.
