Jalen Brunson delivered a triumphant return from his right foot injury, leading the New York Knicks to a 130-121 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Brunson scored 24 of his 29 points in the second half, sparking a comeback that propelled the Knicks to a commanding series lead.
On the anniversary of Willis Reed’s iconic Game 7 appearance in the 1970 NBA Finals, Brunson’s performance sent the Madison Square Garden crowd into a frenzy. He missed the entire second quarter while the Pacers surged ahead, but his second-half resurgence helped secure a crucial win for the Knicks.
While Brunson fell short of scoring 40 points for the fifth consecutive playoff game, he provided exactly what the Knicks needed to take a commanding series lead. OG Anunoby also had a standout performance with a career playoff-high 28 points before leaving with an injury in the third quarter.
Despite facing injuries that have sidelined key players, including Anunoby and Frank Ntilikina, who are out for Games 3 and 4 respectively, the Knicks received strong contributions from Brunson, as well as his Villanova teammates Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart. DiVincenzo scored 28 points while Hart contributed with 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists to help propel the Knicks to victory.
Tyrese Haliburton bounced back from a tough Game 1 with an impressive performance, posting 34 points, nine assists and six rebounds for Indiana. However, after head coach Rick Carlisle was ejected from
