The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers had a hard-fought game in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday, but Jalen Brunson continued his hot pursuit as the Knicks won 121-117.
Brunson scored 21 of his 43 points in the fourth quarter, and Donte DiVincenzo's go-ahead 3-pointer with 39.4 seconds left lifted New York past Indiana in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Madison Square Garden. He scored at least 40 points in four consecutive playoff games, becoming the first player to accomplish that feat since Michael Jordan.
In addition to Brunson's strong play, DiVincenzo had 25 points and Josh Hart filled out the stat sheet with 24 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and one block. Hart continued to make hustle plays all night, keeping the Knicks in the game. The Villanova 3 scored 33 of New York's 39 points in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks and Pacers both had incredible offenses. New York shot 53.7 percent from the field and Indiana shot 52.3 percent from the field.
The Pacers had six players score in double figures, led by Myles Turner with 23 points. All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton had a memorable game, scoring just six points and dishing out eight assists.
Fans on social media were impressed with the performance of Brunson and Hart, who spearheaded the Knicks' Game 1 win on Monday.
The Knicks put a huge burden on their starters as the Pacers bench outscored them 46-3. But Brunson has proven unstoppable on his current run, and teammates like Hart and DiVincenzo have followed his example.
New York and Indiana return for Game 2 on Wednesday.
