In the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the unfavored Knicks and Pacers played a triumphant song, meeting in the semifinals to compete for a place in the finals, the first four games ended, the two teams won two games each, the big score was 2-2 draw, and the fifth game of the battle of Tianwang Mountain returned to New York, but before the game, fans were more optimistic about the prospect of the Pacers winning, and the reason was very simple, that is, the Knicks were too injured, Randle and Bogdanovic were reimbursed for the season, and they were still lying in the team's injury squad, and Anunoby was not able to return to this game, But the Pacers wasted the perfect opportunity to take the lead in the match point, allowing Brunson to lead the Knicks' Jedi Seven Samurai to play a very dominant performance, defending their home court, defeating the Pacers 121-91, leading 3-2, the strongest dark horse in the East in the regular season, the Knicks, are only one step away from the Eastern Conference finals!
In the key battle of the playoffs, the strongest point guard is dumb
Haliburton, who repeatedly played 0 turnovers and assists in the regular season, was praised by many fans as the strongest point guard in the league, but after the start of the playoffs, Haliburton's performance surprised everyone, whether it was individual scoring or organizational offense, there was a cliff-like decline, and he was lost in the Knicks' home court again, contributing only 13 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists in the whole game.
Judging from the comparison of the current lineups of the two teams, the Pacers with Siakam and Turner have a great advantage on both offensive and defensive ends of the interior, but the soft style of the two makes the Pacers turn their strong points into weaknesses, Siakam's offensive efficiency in this campaign is extremely low, and only 22 points were exchanged for 15 shots, and Turner is accurate on the outside, but only 16 points are scored on 4 of 7 shots.
The old Rockets will go berserk, and Brunson is possessed by the God of War
Siakam and Turner's weakness is not only reflected in the scoring, their defense is even more miserable, so that the Pacers' outside players can always easily reach the basket to complete the score, the Knicks in the whole game in terms of interior scoring, a full 26 points to win the Pacers, and the rebounding is also 53-29 crushing, Rockets veteran Hatten is even more violent in this game, becoming a rebounding monster, one person grabbed 12 offensive rebounds, his strong play, is also the fundamental reason why the Knicks can break the Pacers' interior line.
The Knicks, who have no one available, in this game, except for the final garbage time, have been insisting on the seven-man rotation, Brunson, who was injured in the series, continued to fight with injuries and played a strong play possessed by the god of war, not only frequently relying on strength and weight, falling to the low post to complete the single score, but also able to penetrate Yang in 100 steps outside the three-point line, shooting 18 of 35 in the game, and finally cut down 44 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists of gorgeous data, becoming the biggest contributor to the team's victory.
The Pacers, who have the advantage but are hated in the battle of Tianwang Mountain, have forced themselves into a desperate situation, but the Knicks, who took the lead in getting the match point, cannot be taken lightly, and the sixth game between the two sides will return to Indiana again, if the Knicks cannot advance to the Eastern Conference finals away, let the Pacers drag the game into a tie-break, their Jedi Seven Samurai physical fitness will face a huge test, and the Pacers with obvious depth advantages in the lineup are likely to win the tie-break on the road, so as to advance to the division finals, Let's wait and see if Brunson can lead the Jedi Seven Warriors and successfully advance in the next game!