Jalen Brunson produced a scintillating fourth quarter performance as the New York Knicks edged past the Indiana Pacers 121-117 in their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series opener on Monday.
Knicks talisman Brunson finished with 43 points, six rebounds and six assists to give New York the early advantage in their best-of-seven conference semi-final.
But it was his ice-cool performance down the stretch that swept New York to victory in front of 19,812 fans at an electric Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks guard rattled in 21 points in the fourth quarter to complete his fourth straight playoff game with 40 points or more.
Donte DiVincenzo backed Brunson with 25 points while Josh Hart weighed in with a monster performance that included 24 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and a block.
Myles Turner led the Pacers scorers with 23 points while Pascal Siakam added 19.
“That’s what you love about Jalen,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said after the win. “I could go on and on about him, but the thing I love about him is he’s all about the team.
“All he cares about is winning. And he cares about his teammates, and in the end, whatever it is we need, he’ll provide. But I think the same could be said for all the guys.”
Brunson’s fourth quarter rally settled a pulsating contest that saw neither side gain more than a single-digit advantage across four quarters.
The Pacers opened up a nine-point lead early in the fourth quarter before the Knicks came roaring back to reel it in, edging into a four-point lead at 113-109 after Brunson’s step-back jumper with 2min 42sec remaining.
DiVincenzo also came up with a huge clutch play with 40 seconds remaining, nailing a 28-foot three-pointer to put New York 118-115 ahead.
Indiana got back to within one at 118-117 but a harsh offensive foul called against Turner on DiVincenzo with 13 seconds remaining proved decisive, ceding possession back to New York and allowing the hosts to close out the win.
Game two in the series takes place in New York on Wednesday.
