Jalen Brunson's poor first half sinks shorthanded Knicks as Pacers force Game 7

On the heels of being heralded by Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle as one of the best players in the NBA , Knicks star Jalen Brunson struggled mightily during the first half of New York’s 116-103 loss to Indiana in Game 6.

Shortly before opening tip off, Carlisle reminisced on his time coaching Brunson while together on the Dallas Mavericks.

“He’s a great player and he’s a winner. He had a lot of big nights when I was there with him,” Carlisle told reporters. “The following year after I left he had a lot of big nights there. He's just so much about what's good about our game. He's a great leader, he's a great team guy.”

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Brunson has been nothing short of incredible this postseason, averaging 32 points, 5.8 assists and 3 rebounds against the Pacers in the Conference Semifinals entering Game 6. But on Friday night, the 27-year-old got off to a slow start on offense, ultimately sinking the Knicks.

The Pacers made Brunson’s life a living hell in the first half, repeatedly swarming to the point guard as he drove to the basket. Once the final whistle of the second quarter sounded, Brunson trotted to the locker room with just five points after shooting a meagre 2-of-13 from the field and 0-of-3 from behind the arc.

After beginning the game 2-2 from the field, Brunson went on to miss his final 11 shots in the first half, marking the longest streak of missed shots in his career. He was able to find his rhythm in the third quarter, however, scoring 14 points while the rest of his Knicks teammates combined for 10 points. Brunson ended the contest with 31 points, five assists and one rebound.

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Despite Brunson’s late resurgence, the Pacers never seemed to let off the gas, playing with a sense of desperation that comes from being on the edge of elimination. Indianapolis received immense contributions from starters and bench players alike, with five players finishing the game with 15 or more points.

Several minutes into the first quarter, Pacers center Myles Turner set the tone for the remainder of the contest with an authoritative dunk. The 28-year-old drove past Knicks’ Isaiah Hartenstein and slammed the ball down with one hand, additionally drawing a foul.

Then in the closing three minutes of the second quarter, Turner punished the rim yet again. Pascal Siakam dished the ball to the big-man, who took two steps from the free throw line and tomahawk slammed it home.

The shorthanded Knicks additionally have a new injury to worry about in Game 7. Shooting guard Josh Hart labored through the first half and donned tape around his midsection, but was ultimately unable to play through the pain. He was eventually ruled out of Friday’s contest with abdominal soreness.

With the Pacers win, Indianapolis will now travel to New York to take on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon.