Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks Pummel Pacers, Keep Season Alive

Thousands of would-be doctors gathered at Madison Square Garden were more than happy to give New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns a clean bill of health.

Listed as questionable on the metropolitan injury report entering Game 5 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night, Towns left no doubt in a 111-94 win over the Indiana Pacers. Putting up a 24-point, 13-rebound double-double, as well as a plus-26 on the scoreboard, Towns kept the Knicks' season alive and narrowed Indiana's lead to 3-2 in the best-of-seven set.

Towns' fellow All-Star Jalen Brunson led all participants in scoring with 32 tallies, going 12-of-18 from the field in a game exclusively led by the Knicks. The metropolitan duo is the first pair in NBA history to scored at least 20 points in the first five parts of a conference final series since Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal did so for the 2002 Los Angeles Lakers.

The brilliant offensive outing of Brunson and Towns were staged perfectly by the Knicks' defensive dominance: no Indiana starter put up more than 15 points and the leader (Pascal Siakam) was the only Pacer starter in double-figures.

May 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers during game five of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Game 5 saw the Knicks flip their script in more ways than one: Thursday, for example, saw them secure their first win at Madison Square Garden in the series, one where they established their dominance from the get-go: Brunson put in the first six tallies of the game en route to totaling 14 over the first dozen, granting the Knicks a wire-to-wire lead they would never relinquish.

The Knicks' defense likewise roared back to life: after giving up 43 in the opening period alone in Game 4 on Tuesday night, New York didn't allow Indiana to reach that tally until the final stages of the first half, which saw them carry an 11-point lead.

A Brunson-less stretch once again game helped define the Knicks' fortunes: up by four when the captain sat at the onset of the second period, the Knicks boosted the lead to 11 by the time Brunson returned shortly after the midway mark. Towns contributed to 12 points of the 18-11 run, which included a pair of successful and-ones.

The double-figure lead was another that the Knicks did not let go, as Indiana never got any closer than the 11-point deficit it started the second half with. When Towns sat with his fourth foul in the third quarter, Brunson likewise picked up the slack, lead the charge in a 14-4 run that established the Knicks' largest lead of 22. That included a run of 12 unanswered New York points, one capped off by a successful four-point play from Brunson.

May 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) controls the ball against Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) in the fourth quarter during game five of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

With Brunson handling business on offense (16 points on 5-of-6 from the field in the third), the Knicks proved equally formidable on the other end, enforcing their will with eight forced turnovers while the Pacers sank only seven shots from the field.

From there, the only drama came from guessing which chants Knicks fans would engage in, as they loudly called for a result of "Knicks in 7" and lauded depth stars like Landry Shamet for their efforts. In addition to the expanded rotational contributions of Shamet and Delon Wright, Josh Hart had a double-double off the bench with 12 points and 10 boards.

Fresh off a historic posting in Game 4, Tyrese Haliburton was limited to eight points and six assists in defeat. Indiana was paced by its own depth star, as Bennedict Mathurin scored 23, though it was a struggle in relief for former Knicks lottery hero Obi Toppin: the eighth pick of the 2020 draft scored 11 points but was a dire minus-26 over his 17-plus minutes of action.

Game 6 shifts back to Indianapolis where stage two of the potential comeback will be staged at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (8 p.m. ET, TNT).

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