Jalen Brunson scored 41 factors and the New York Knicks held on for a 118-115 victory over Philadelphia on Thursday, clinching a 4-2 sequence win to guide an NBA playoffs second-round conflict with the Indiana Pacers.
The Pacers powered into the Eastern Conference semi-finals with a convincing 120-98 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks that sealed their 4-2 sequence win.
It got here right down to the wire in Philadelphia, the place Knicks ahead Josh Hart, fed by Brunson, drilled a three-pointer to place New York up 114-111 with 25.6 seconds remaining.
Sixers star Joel Embiid lower the deficit to 1 with a driving layup seconds later however then fouled out and the Knicks polished it off with free throws from Donte DiVincenzo and Brunson.
Brunson mentioned that after failing to shut out the 76ers at house in sport 5, the Knicks knew they wanted a sooner begin on this one.
They led by 22 factors within the first quarter, solely to see the 76ers claw again to steer by three at halftime and push their benefit to as many as 10 within the third quarter.
“Obviously they fought back and took the lead, but that good start helped us,” he mentioned. “The means we stored preventing, that is what we have been speaking about all yr — simply ensuring we hold preventing it doesn’t matter what.
“No matter what the situation is, we’re going to stick together, we’re going to fight.”
Brunson added 12 assists, DiVincenzo scored 23 factors with two steals and three blocked photographs and OG Anunoby contributed 19 factors.
Hart completed with 16 factors and 14 rebounds and heard the cheers rain down from Knicks followers who made the trek to Philadelphia, even supposing the 76ers homeowners purchased 2,500 tickets on the secondary market to attempt to restrict the invasion of New York supporters that irked Embiid throughout sport 4.
Embiid, final season’s Most Valuable Player whose marketing campaign was disrupted by knee surgical procedure in February, scored 39 factors and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Buddy Hield added 20 factors however Tyrese Maxey, who scored 46 in Tuesday’s series-extending victory, was held to 17.
The Knicks, by means of to the second spherical for the second straight season, will host the Pacers in sport one in every of their sequence on Monday.
Unable to shut out the depleted Bucks on Tuesday, the Pacers obtained their uptempo offense flowing once more, relentlessly pulling away after trailing by seven within the opening minutes in Indianapolis.
All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton delivered a double-double of 17 factors and 10 assists, nevertheless it was reserve guard Obi Toppin main the Pacers scoring with a profession playoff excessive 21 factors.
– Pacers perseverance –
T.J. McConnell added 20 factors off the bench together with 9 assists and 4 steals because the Pacers reserves contributed a whopping 50 factors.
“I’m so proud of the perseverance,” Haliburton mentioned of Toppin and McConnell. “Obviously neither of them had a really good game last game — none of us did. We just responded the right way.”
Indiana led by 12 at halftime, and after the Bucks lower the deficit to seven on a Brook Lopez layup with 1:05 left within the third the Pacers authored an 11-0 scoring run and romped away within the last interval.
Eight-time All-Star Damian Lillard returned from a two-game damage absence and led the Bucks with 28 factors.
Lopez and Bobby Portis scored 20 factors apiece, however with two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo nonetheless sidelined by the calf damage suffered late within the common season the Bucks could not discover a solution.
The Bucks, who received the title in 2021, misplaced within the first spherical for the second straight season after falling to Miami final yr.
The Pacers hadn’t received a playoff sequence since 2014, after they reached the Eastern Conference finals.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
