Pacers vs Knicks Game 5 score: Live updates, analysis, highlights

Can the Knicks summon more magic and comeback on Pacers?

The New York Knicks are no strangers to dramatic comebacks, but is a 3-1 deficit too much to come back on the Pacers?

Sports Pulse

The Indiana Pacers return to Madison Square Garden with the chance to close out the Eastern Conference Finals series in Game 5 against the New York Knicks.

The Pacers have a 3-1 series lead after a 130-121 victory over the Knicks in Game 4 at home.

Tyrese Haliburton produced a triple-double with 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds for Indiana.

Pascal Siakam has continued to pose a problem for the Knicks in the series, scoring 30 points for a second game in this series.

Jalen Brunson has led the way for the Knicks with 31 or more points in three of the first four games in the series, but all of those games have resulted in losses.

The urgency for the New York Knicks is palpable.

After struggling to stack positive quarters throughout the Eastern Conference finals, the Knicks maintained their intensity in the second period, extending their lead to 11 points.

The Knicks rode a 14-2 run in the middle of the quarter, as All-Stars Jalen Brunson (14 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (17) carried New York. But the most obvious positive for the Knicks has been the way they have protected the ball, turning it over just 6 times. New York has also kept its defensive intensity and has attacked the rim, earning a 32-14 edge in points in the paint.

The Pacers have struggled from the floor, though the starting unit, in particular, has had a rough go. The first five combined to score just 22 points in the first half, with All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton having a difficult time generating his shot. Haliburton did not make a single field goal, missing his 3 shot attempts.

He scored just 4 points in the half, while shooting guard Aaron Nesmith was held scoreless.

The Pacers are shooting 37.5% from the floor, compared the New York’s clip of 51.1%.

With their backs against the wall and facing elimination, the Knicks came out firing with Jalen Brunson scoring the team’s first six points as New York shot out to an early 10-point lead. Brunson finished the quarter with 14 points, hitting two 3-pointers as part of an 11-1 run, and Karl-Anthony Towns continued his aggressive play on both ends of the floor with five points and three rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton, who had a triple-double in Game 4, scored two points. Indiana shot 37% in the quarter.

Knicks star Jalen Brunson had 14 points, three assists and three rebounds in the first half against the Pacers. He shot 6-of-10 from the field and 2-for-3 from the 3-point line.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, Mitchell Robinson, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges will start for the Knicks in Game 5 against the Pacers tonight.

Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner will start for the Pacers in Game 5 against the Knicks tonight.

What time is Pacers vs. Knicks?

The New York Knicks will host the Indiana Pacers for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

USA Today Staff predictions:Scooby Axson: Pacers 115, Knicks 109Cydney Henderson: Knicks 108, Pacers 102Lorenzo Reyes: Pacers 116, Knicks 110Heather Tucker: Knicks 97, Pacers 94James H. Williams: Knicks 102, Pacers 101Jeff Zillgitt: Knicks 111, Pacers 105Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks predictions: Expert picks for Game 5ESPN: Pacers have the edge

According to ESPN Analytics, Indiana has a 54% chance of winning Game 5 against the New York Knicks (46%).

SportsBettingDime: Knicks 117.1, Pacers 115.5

The site formula predicts that New York will beat Indiana.

Sportsbook Wire: Pacers 121, Knicks 116

Ryan Dodson writes: “I like the Pacers here because I don’t think there’s any way they can lose both games at home after the momentum they stole in New York.”

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Game 5 odds

The New York Knicks are favored to beat the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, according to BetMGM (odds as of Thursday, May 29):

Spread: Knicks (-4.5)Moneyline: Knicks (-185); Pacers (+150)Over/under: 222.5How to watch Indiana Pacers vs. New York KnicksTime: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PTLocation: Madison Square Garden (New York)TV: TNT, truTVStream: Sling TV, Fubo, Max

Watch Pacers vs. Knicks Game 5 on Fubo

Aaron Nesmith will be available for Game 5 tonight, according to Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. Nesmith has been dealing with a right ankle sprain.

The Pacers take on the Knicks at 8 p.m. ET with coverage on TNT, truTV and streaming on Max.

The Knicks will host the Pacers from Madison Square Garden in New York City for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Karl-Anthony Towns is going to play in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, according to Knicks. Towns went through his regular pre-game routine minutes before tipoff and did not appear to be in any obvious discomfort. The Knicks announced shortly before tipoff that Towns would be in the starting lineup along with Jalen Brunson, Mitchell Robinson, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. — Lorenzo Reyes

More on Karl-Anthony Towns’ injury from USA TODAY’s Lorenzo Reyes.

BetMGM odds for NBA Finals winner as of Wednesday, May 28:

Four victories. That’s what the Oklahoma City Thunder need to win the franchise’s first championship since 1979 when they were the Seattle SuperSonics.

The Thunder reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 Wednesday in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.

*-if necessary

Game 1, June 5: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABCGame 2, June 8: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET | ABCGame 3, June 11: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABCGame 4, June 13: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABCGame 5, June 16: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC*Game 6, June 19: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC*Game 7, June 22: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET | ABC*Game 1: Pacers 138, Knicks 135 Game 2: Pacers 114, Knicks 109 Game 3: Knicks 106, Pacers 100 Game 4, May 27: Pacers 130, Knicks 121Game 5, May 29: Pacers at Knicks | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m. Game 6, May 31: Knicks at Pacers | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m.* Game 7, June 2: Pacers at Knicks | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m.*

If the impending NBA Finals matchup of the league’s 23rd and 27th-ranked media markets is supposed to spell doom for the league, it is a doom the NBA’s owners intentionally brought on themselves.

While two glitz-free Midwestern cities in the Finals might not have the celebrity pull the NBA has largely enjoyed through its historically successful franchises, it was an inevitable outcome once the league designed a collective bargaining agreement that dismantled its traditional cycle of superteams and dynasties.

Welcome to the new NBA, where championship windows are smaller, the life cycle of a roster is shorter and the number of teams that can win a title in any given year is beyond anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes. — Dan Wolken

The Knicks and Pacers played six memorable playoff series against one another over an eight-season span, including two consecutive matchups in the Eastern Conference finals in 1999 and 2000. The anticipation for this latest matchup has also triggered nostalgia for those classic battles between Reggie Miller and Patrick Ewing, and how the Knicks and Pacers turned into an NBA playoffs rivalry. Here are some of the best (or infamous) moments from Knicks vs. Pacers playoff series, courtesy of Mark Giannotto.

The New York Knicks’ historic postseason journey this year has not only reignited the passion of veteran Knicks fans but also attracted a new wave of supporters, uniting them in a shared sense of pride and excitement.

Among the most enthusiastic supporters is Spike Lee, a longtime leader of the Knicks fan base.

The film director is often seen in Knicks gear, sporting the standout orange and blue in some fashion, and he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a superfan in October 2024.

Pacers vs Knicks Game 5 score: Live updates, analysis, highlights

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