Karl-Anthony Towns was listed as a game-time decision due to a left knee contusion heading into the Knicks‘ Game 5 homestand against the Pacers, but that didn’t stop him from putting his best foot forward as the Knicks staved off elimination with a 111-94 victory.

“Shoutout to our medical staff. They gave me a chance to go out there and compete tonight,” Towns said, as reported by Peter Botte of the New York Post (subscriber link). “I’m glad I was able to. We put a lot of hours trying to get myself ready and I got a chance and God was good and I was able to go out there and play.”

Coming into the night, Towns was constantly flexing his knee in the hope that the pain would dissipate, according to SI’s Chris Mannix.

While co-star Jalen Brunson started the Knicks’ scoring efforts in the first quarter, Towns took over in the second, ending the first half with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and ending the game with 24 points and 13 rebounds while playing a game-high 35.5 minutes.

With the season on the line, the Knicks knew that getting the most out of Towns’ offensive skillset was crucial to live to fight another day.

“In this series I’ve had a lot of success getting downhill, getting to the rim,” Towns said. “I can shoot the three ball but [tonight] I really wanted to get downhill and impose my will early.”

While the team knows the odds are against it fighting back from a 3-1 deficit, Towns is still optimistic, thanks in large part to the mindset of the group of players assembled by president Leon Rose.

“One through 15, everyone’s doing an amazing job of wanting to win and being there for each other. This team’s special,” Towns said.

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Landry Shamet had played just 31 minutes throughout the 2025 playoffs prior to the Eastern Conference Finals, but has played 36 minutes over the last three games. Despite a modest Game 5 statline of five points, one rebound, and one steal, his contributions were invaluable, writes the New York Post’s Jared Schwartz. While generally known as a shooting specialist, the 28-year-old wing’s most important contributions were on defense, where he helped contain Pacers’ reserve TJ McConnell and contributed to a solid team defensive effort alongside fellow seldom-played reserves Delon Wright and Precious Achiuwa. “I love New York. I love these fans. I see how they ride the wave with us, the highs, the lows. So it’s important to me. I just wanna give everything I’ve got to them,” Shamet said.
Brunson was the leader New York needed in Game 5, writes Zach Braziller of the New York Post. The Knicks’ captain always spearheads the team’s offensive attack, but following a disappointing Game 4 that saw the Clutch Player of the Year score just two points in the final period, Brunson was focused on a bigger picture approach to leadership. “[I wanted to] set a tone, for sure. It wasn’t through putting the ball in the basket. That happened, but just trying to make sure we were all on the same page and ready to go,” he said. For one game, at least, the efforts paid off, as the Knicks came out with a renewed focus defensively and an offensive game plan that showed more intentionality in how it attacked than previous efforts.
Speaking of intentionality and focus, in those two regards, the Knicks sent a clear message in Game 5, according to James Edwards of The Athletic (subscriber link). New York won in all the categories it needed to in order to steal a game and put pressure back on Indiana, including taking more shots, rebounding more, turning it over less, and dominating in the paint. The purpose and attention to detail was most evident on the defensive end, Edwards writes, with crisp rotations, big-time defensive playmaking from OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, and contributions throughout the lineup. “It started at the point of attack, with Mikal, just picking up and making things hard,” Miles McBride said after the game. “Everybody talked and communicated a lot more. I just felt like we had an edge to us tonight.”