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NEW YORK — Throughout this postseason, the Knicks have struggled mightily to set the tone to begin games.
That was the case in the early stages of their three 20-point comeback victories, with New York falling behind before digging out of deep holes. And it has generally been the case in this Eastern Conference finals matchup with the Indiana Pacers, who carried a 3-1 lead into Madison Square Garden for Thursday’s Game 5.
But with the Knicks facing elimination, they finally got the start they wanted. Led by All-NBA guard Jalen Brunson, who scored the game’s first three baskets and had 14 first-quarter points, New York held down the rival Pacers for a wire-to-wire victory 111-94 to force Game 6 in Indianapolis on Saturday night.
Brunson was dominant from the jump, hitting six of his first seven shot attempts in the opening period en route to a game-high 32 points. But it was his willingness to compete harder on defense and slow down Tyrese Haliburton that stood out the most for many of his teammates.
Haliburton was coming off a Game 4 showing in which he became the first player in NBA postseason history to notch