Donte DiVincenzo hurled expletives and squared up to Myles Turner in the third quarter after a vicious dunk as the impassioned New York Knicks secured a crucial Game 5 victory over the Indiana Pacers at a rapturous Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks clinched a 121-91 win over the Pacers on Tuesday night to move to a 3-2 lead in the NBA Playoff series. New York is now one game away from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, with Jalen Brunson inspiring the Knicks on the back of his incredible 44-point performance - the fifth time he has scored at least 40 points in these playoffs.
It was another night that will live long in the memory of fans of a franchise that hasn’t won the NBA championship since 1973. The Madison Square Garden crowd responded to the Knicks’ passion, with the arena exploding when DiVincenzo threw down a massive follow dunk.
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Perhaps riding the wave of energy and adrenaline, DiVincenzo clashed with Turner moments later, which only served to further excite the impassioned crowd. The Newark, Delaware, native has become a fan favorite - and his antics when squaring up to the physically imposing Turner will undoubtedly further ingratiate himself with the Knicks faithful.
The Knicks have struggled on the road in this series with the Pacers, particularly faltering in Game 4 en route to a 33-point blowout defeat. After that crushing loss - that ensured New York had thrown away a 2-0 lead - big man Isaiah Hartenstein insisted the Knicks’ underwhelming performance was "disrespectful" to the fans who pack into the Garden for home games.
“Nothing is like the Garden,” Hartenstein told reporters. “We have to really get back to playing our basketball, coming back to playing for the fans like that. Because the way we played, especially today, was not respectful to the fans and how they support us.”
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Hartenstein certainly heeded his own advice. Midway through the second quarter, the 7-foot center had more offensive rebounds than the Pacers had total boards as the Knicks flew out the gates and played with the gusto the NBA world has become accustomed to on this enthralling postseason run. Hartenstein finished with 17 boards in the win - including tying the Knicks playoff-record with 12 offensive rebounds.
It wasn’t just Brunson and Hartenstein, either. With OG Anunoby likely out for the remainder of the series, Miles McBride and Alec Burks stepped up to the plate, adding 17 and 18 points, respectively, while the relentless Josh Hart tallied a stunning 11 rebounds alongside 18 points.
The Knicks blew the Pacers away in the first half, ensuring they entered halftime with a lead for the first time in this series. However, Tom Thibodeau team let their lead slip early into the third quarter, with Turner connecting on three 3-point strikes in two minutes as the Pacers made it a seven-point game.
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But the Knicks immediately rediscovered their groove and established control to open up a 25-point lead - their biggest of the night at the time. This was part of a 17-0 run in the third quarter as New York seized control and Indiana could not keep pace with its amped-up rivals.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the game was all but over. The Knicks had overwhelmed the Pacers, scoring 96 points through three quarters as their offensive rebounding took center stage once again. Tyrese Haliburton , who mocked DiVincenzo after torching the guard in Game 4 , took just eight shots in a subdued, turnover-ridden performance. The Pacers will need the All-Star guard to return to form if they are are to overturn this deficit and advance.
The Knicks travel to Indiana to face the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Game 6 on Friday, May 17.
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