Jalen Brunson Thrills NBA Fans as Knicks Extend Series vs. Pacers amid Haliburton Dud

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks kept their season alive on Thursday night, defeating the Indiana Pacers, 111-94, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Led by 32 points from Brunson, the Knicks staved off elimination and now trail the series 3-2. The star point guard also recorded five assists and five rebounds, shooting 12-of-18 from the field and 4-of-7 from behind the arc.

Tyrese Haliburton struggled for the Pacers, finishing with a mere eight points on 2-of-7 shooting to go along with six assists.

Fans were amazed by the performance from Brunson and the Knicks.

New York never trailed during the game, opening the first quarter with a 10-3 advantage. While the Knicks were only up by four points entering the second quarter, they outscored Indiana 29-22 in the period to lead by 11 at halftime.

New York held its own defensively in the third quarter, leading by as many as 22 points. Although the Pacers cut the deficit to 12 with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation, they couldn't close the gap any further before the Knicks put the game out of reach.

Karl-Anthony Towns was unstoppable offensively, finishing with a double-double by scoring 24 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.

Josh Hart also chipped in with 12 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals in 34 minutes off the bench.

The Pacers couldn't find any rhythm on offense, committing 20 turnovers against 20 assists. They also struggled to get to the rim consistently, as New York finished with 60 points in the paint compared to just 34 for Indiana.

Pascal Siakam recorded 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting, but no other Pacers starter ended the game with a double-digit scoring total.

The series now shifts back to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 6 on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.