NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson is on fire, and the Indiana Pacers are just the latest to feel his heat.
Brunson lit up the court on Monday night with a spectacular 43-point performance, driving the New York Knicks to a 121-117 win in Game 1 against the Pacers. He was unstoppable in the fourth quarter, scoring 21 points and attacking the basket relentlessly. This continues a scorching playoff streak for Brunson, who has scored 40 points in four straight games.
It’s not just the points that make Brunson’s performance special. With six assists, he became the first player in NBA history to record four consecutive 40-point, 5-assist playoff games. Yet, despite his individual brilliance, Brunson keeps his focus on the team. “The little things can go a long way,” he said. “The 40 points are cool, but it’s the little things that help us win games. I’m just happy to have the group of guys that I do. I know we’re going to fight every single day.”
Brunson’s impact goes beyond just scoring. He has been responsible for 321 points through assists and scoring in his last five games—the second-most in a five-game span in NBA postseason history. Only Nikola Jokic has done better, with 329 over five games.
In the clutch moments of Game 1, Brunson made a crucial assist to Donte DiVincenzo, who nailed a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to break a 115-115 tie, giving the Knicks the lead for good. DiVincenzo, Brunson’s former Villanova teammate, finished with 25 points, 21 of which came in the second half. He shot 8-for-10 from the field.
But the game wasn’t without controversy. The Knicks maintained possession late in the fourth quarter when a Brunson pass deflected off Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith, resulting in a kicked-ball violation. Replay showed that the ball only hit Nesmith’s hand, but the call wasn’t reviewable, leaving the Pacers without a chance to challenge it. Postgame, crew chief Zach Zarba admitted they got it wrong. “Postgame review did show that it hit the defender’s hand, which would be legal,” Zarba said.
There was another questionable call with 12.7 seconds left when Myles Turner was called for a moving screen, leading to the Pacers’ unsuccessful challenge. Rick Carlisle, the Pacers’ coach, wasn’t happy but kept his cool. “It would be nice if they laid off that one, but they didn’t,” he said. “That’s just the way it goes.”
Turner, who scored 23 points in the loss, echoed his coach’s sentiment, noting that players should decide the game’s outcome. He also gave credit to DiVincenzo for selling the foul.
The Pacers also admitted that they put Brunson on the free-throw line too often—he went 14-for-14—and allowed DiVincenzo and Josh Hart, who scored 24 points, to play significant roles in the offense. The Knicks shot a stunning 65% in the second half. Hart played all 48 minutes for the third time this postseason, a feat not seen since Jimmy Butler did it five times in 2013.
On the other side, Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers’ star point guard, struggled with back spasms, scoring just six points and taking only one shot inside the 3-point line. The matchup between him and Brunson tipped heavily in favor of the Knicks.
Brunson has been electric in the final quarters of the last five games, averaging 12.4 points. He finished 8-for-8 from the line and 6-for-10 from the field in the fourth quarter, proving his worth under pressure.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau praised Brunson’s team-first attitude. “He’s all about the team,” Thibodeau said. “Whatever we need—big bucket, assist, whatever—it is, he’ll provide.”
