Brunson returned from a foot injury and led the Knicks to a 2-0 lead against the Pacers in the playoff series.
The New York Knicks defeated the Indiana Pacers 130-121 in a best-of-seven NBA playoff series Wednesday to take a 2-0 lead, with Jalen Brunson overcoming an injury in a sensational second-half comeback.
New York's talisman Brunson suffered a foot injury in the first quarter that forced him to miss the rest of the half at Madison Square Garden, giving the team a big scare.
Indiana took advantage of Brunson's absence to open up a 10-point advantage by halftime and quickly took a 12-point lead in the third quarter on a layup by Andrew Nembhard.
But Brunson, who had been limping, returned early in the third quarter and led a remarkable rally as the Knicks outscored Indiana 36-18 in the third quarter and took a 99-91 lead into the fourth. .
The Knicks then dug deep to maintain their advantage in the fourth, outscoring the Pacers 31-30 and capping off a storied victory.
Brunson had 29 points and five assists, while Donte DiVincenzo and OG Anunoby each had 28 points.
Josh Hart scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, and Isaiah Hartenstein played well on defense with 12 rebounds, eight assists, and 14 points.
Jalen Brunson shined in the second game, scoring 24 of his 29 points in the second half to propel his team forward. @nyknicks 2-0 to lead the series! Game 3 will be broadcast on ESPN on Friday at 7pm ET.
OG Anunoby: 28 PTS (playoff career high), 4 3 p.m.
Josh Hart: 19 PTS, 15 REB, 7 AST
Donte DiVincenzo: 28 PTS & 6 3PM… pic.twitter.com/BYPeAh3Nj7— NBA (@NBA) May 9, 2024
“I found a way, that's all,” said an exhausted Branson. “For us, it starts with habits. We've been talking about doing the little things a little bit better since day one, because you never know when it's going to help you in the big game.”
“It’s all about doing the little things right every day, and we’re proud of that.”
However, this victory came at a price for the Knicks. The Knicks were already without first-choice players Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic due to injuries.
In addition to Brunson's injury on Wednesday, the Knicks had other players injured, including Anunoby, who limped off in the third quarter with a hamstring issue.
The Knicks somehow managed to get past the Pacers, with Brunson scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter and DiVincenzo adding eight points, including two crucial 3-pointers, to keep Indiana close.
Knicks manager Tom Thibodeau said the team is unsure whether Brunson will continue playing after missing the second quarter.
“We didn't know if he was going to be able to go, but he found a way to get it done,” Thibodeau said.
Tyrese Haliburton was Indiana's leading scorer with 34 points, followed by Nembhard with 15 points and Pascal Siakam with 14 points. Obi Toppin added 20 points off the bench.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was ejected late in the fourth quarter after he verbally abused officials after overruling a double dribble call against the Knicks against Hartenstein.
Carlisle attacked the referees after the loss, saying his team had been treated unfairly.
Carlisle said, “I always talk to my staff about not blaming the officials all the time, but they deserve a fair judgment.'' “It's unfortunate that we don't have that consistent balance. Let's give New York credit for their physical play. But their physicality is rewarded and our physicality is punished.”
