Current:Home > MarketsJalen Brunson's return, 54 years after Willis Reed's, helps Knicks to 2-0 lead. But series is far from over. -RiskWatch
Jalen Brunson's return, 54 years after Willis Reed's, helps Knicks to 2-0 lead. But series is far from over.
View
Date:2025-04-12 07:44:20
Fifty-four years ago, on May 8, 1970, New York Knicks star Willis Reed hobbled onto the Madison Square Garden court against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
It was the inspiration the Knicks needed to defeat the Lakers and win the franchise’s first championship. It is a moment embedded in NBA history.
On May 8, 2024, Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson returned from an injury in the second half against the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series. Certainly not as dramatic as Reed’s return and the stakes were not even close to the same, but Brunson gave the Knicks a necessary lift and helped them to a 130-121 victory and a 2-0 series lead.
The Pacers blew an opportunity to even the series. The Knicks are battered, depleted, and with a short rotation, the minutes are piling up. Julius Randle, Bojan Bogdanovic and Mitchell Robinson are out for the Knicks, and OG Anunoby, who had 28 points in Game 2, didn’t play the final 15 minutes due to a sore left hamstring. The Knicks’ rotation is down to seven players who are logging heavy minutes, including the Villanova 3 – Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo.
The series isn’t over. Let’s see what happens when the series moves to Indianapolis for Game 3 and Game 4 and who is available for the Knicks.
But it’s difficult for a team to win four of the next five games, and that’s the prospect the Pacers face.
Even with everything the Knicks have going on, they have been impressive, and Brunson is the playoff MVP in the East.
New York’s fourth-quarter offensive execution has propelled it to this point – just two victories from reaching its first conference finals since 2000. Entering Game 2 against Indiana, the Knicks had the second-best fourth-quarter offensive rating in the playoffs, scoring 127 points per 100 possessions, just behind Dallas' 127.1.
On Wednesday, the Knicks used a 36-18 third quarter to erase a 73-63 halftime deficit and take a 99-91 lead into the fourth quarter.
According to NBA.com, the Knicks improved to 4-1 in the playoffs in “clutch” games – contests where the score was within five points in the final five minutes of regulation and overtime. In the fourth quarter of Game 2, the Knicks made timely shots when the Pacers got within six points or fewer. DiVincenzo made a 3-pointer that extended the Knicks’ lead to 124-115, and Brunson made it 126-118 on a short jumper late in the fourth.
Hart had 19 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block in 48 minutes, DiVincenzo had 28 points, six rebounds and four assists in nearly 44 minutes and Isaiah Hartenstein added 14 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in 39 minutes. Had Brunson not left the game for a large portion of the first half, he would’ve logged 40-plus minutes. As it was, he played the entire second half and finished with 29 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter.
It’s way too early to call the Knicks a team of destiny. If they advance, they likely will face the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the conference finals. They will be underdogs in that series. But there's no denying what a treat Brunson and the Knicks have been so far in the playoffs.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
- Hurricane Milton leaves widespread destruction; rescue operations underway: Live updates
- Prepare for Hurricane Milton: with these tech tips for natural disasters
- Christina Hall's Ex Josh Hall Trying to Block Sale of $4.5 Million Home
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- 'I was very in the dark': PMDD can be deadly but many women go undiagnosed for decades
- Why 'Terrifier 3' star David Howard Thornton was 'born to play' iconic Art the Clown
- Why Eminem Didn’t Initially Believe Daughter Hailie Jade’s Pregnancy News
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- After Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Bacteria and Chemicals May Lurk in Flood Waters
Ranking
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Top Celebrity Halloween Costume of 2024 Revealed
- Savannah Guthrie Teases Today's Future After Hoda Kotb's Departure
- JD Vance refused five times to acknowledge Donald Trump lost 2020 election in podcast interview
- Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
- Amanda Overstreet Case: Teen Girl’s Remains Found in Freezer After 2005 Disappearance
- Should I rake my leaves? It might be more harmful than helpful. Here's why
- Alabama averts disaster with late defensive stop against South Carolina
Recommendation
Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
Why Kerry Washington Thinks Scandal Would Never Have Been Made Today
Millions still without power after Milton | The Excerpt
Pittsburgh football best seasons: Panthers off to 6-0 start for first time in decades
Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
Yamamoto outduels Darvish in historic matchup as Dodgers beat Padres 2-0 to reach NLCS
Tigers at Guardians live updates: Time, TV and how to watch ALDS winner-take-all Game 5
Hot-air balloon strikes and collapses radio tower in Albuquerque during festival