On May 15, Beijing time, the NBA playoffs continued. In an Eastern Conference semifinal, the Knicks defeated the Pacers at home to win the battle of Tianwang Mountain, leading the series 3-2, and only one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals!
Although the roster is still broken, the Knicks still showed some fighting ability, and they scored 38 points in the first quarter under Brunson's leadership to lead the Pacers by six points. In the second quarter, the Knicks tightened up their defense to allow the Pacers to score just 22 points in a single quarter, extending their lead to 15 points before the end of the first half. In the second half of the game, the Knicks launched a wave of 17-0 attacks, opened the gap to more than 20 points in one fell swoop, and finally won the victory.
The Knicks were able to win, and Brunson certainly contributed to it. In the whole game, Brunson played a total of 43 minutes, shooting 18 of 34, including 2 of 6 three-pointers and 6 of 7 free throws, with a total of 44 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists, with a plus/minus of +31! This is his fifth 40+ in this year's playoffs, continuing to break the Knicks record.
In addition to the win, the Knicks also have good news today, that is, Anunoby is expected to make a comeback. Chris Haynes, who served as the game's sideline reporter, said: "Anunoby's injury is a hamstring injury, and his target return date could be the Eastern Conference Finals. He's doing everything he can to recover to get back on the court as soon as possible, but as far as I know, he's more likely to make a comeback in the Eastern Conference if the Knicks can make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Eastern Final looks like a more realistic target comeback date. ”
Due to a hamstring injury, Anunoby has missed three consecutive playoff games. So far in the playoffs this year, he has played 8 games for the Knicks, averaging 16.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1 steal and 1.1 blocks in 40 minutes per game. Obviously, his presence is very critical for the Knicks.
It should be noted that the Knicks have not reached the Eastern Conference Finals since the 1998-99 season, and have reached the Eastern Conference semifinals as far as the Eastern Conference Semifinals during that time. Now that the Knicks have won the Tenking Mountain, if they can eliminate the Pacers, they will have the best record in the past 25 years.
According to the schedule, the series G6 between the Knicks and the Pacers will be played on May 16, can the Knicks advance on the road? Let's wait and see.