Well, no one saw that one coming. The New York Knicks resurrected from the verge of elimination with a 111-94 win. Though the Pacers’ defense is regarded as one of the best in the league, New York made sure the story ended differently in Game 5. The Knicks kept Indiana at 94 points on 97 possessions. By the end of the first quarter, the Knicks set the tone of the game with their possessions.

While Tyrese Haliburton was set on clearing a straightaway path to the basket, McBride pressured him into a corner. Similarly, Josh Hart closed out Obi Toppin and switched to T.J. McConnell, denying the Pacers the edge they were looking for. Likewise, Brunson hedged a screen set for Hali, leaving Ben Sheppard open to make a short. But coming in a flash from the weak side, Bridges blocked Sheppard’s clean shot. This marked one of the Pacers’ worst offenses in the playoffs, with only 17 of 37 shots. Although the Knicks stepped up in terms of their defense, one thing that was never in question was their offense.

“In this series, we haven’t lacked scoring,” KAT said. “It’s been more about us not stopping them from scoring.” Coming to the court after an injury scare, Towns had everyone bamboozled, the Knicks star recorded 24 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists. On the other hand, posting 34 points and five assists, Jalen Brunson became the fourth player to have such stats in a single postseason. As both teams return tonight to Madison Square Garden for the fourth time in this series, it is detrimental for the Knicks to keep the momentum going. Well, lucky for New York, the entire bench will return to court. According to the injury reports, Josh Hart, the star guard, will also be joining the crew to take another win for the Knicks. However, can the same be said for the Pacers?

Things seem to be going south for the Pacers pretty soon. Tony Bradley has been listed as questionable for tonight’s match because of a hip injury. While Isaiah Jackson still remains out, so the Indiana bench will return with two men down. And with a lack of front-court depth for the Pacers, is this the moment for the Knicks to capitalize on?

Will the Knicks finally make it to the NBA Finals?

The Knicks’ Game 5 win was led by Brunson and KAT, but it also came from Tom Thibodeau keeping the starters fresh. Playing Landry Shamet and Delon Wright kept the Knicks’ top players in shape for another game. Thibodeau has clearly learned it from last time in the semi-finals, when the Knicks had exhausted their top eight, losing five of them by Game 7. With that in mind, let us now see what the starting lineups for tonight could look like:

Meanwhile, Rich Carlisle needs to figure out a way out of this. Recording only 8 points, Haliburton was the first to admit that it was a rough night. But it wasn’t just him; Myles Turner, Nesmith, and Nembhard all had single digits by the end of the night. However, the Pacers still have a slight lead with 3-2, so the question is whether they will be able to maintain it. Let’s now see Indiana’s starting lineup for tonight:

Well, whether the Knicks can continue with their pace or the Pacers make a comeback, now it is all just speculation. Whoever makes it through the ECF will only time tell, so who will you be cheering for?