The Knicks know what’s on the line.
But so do the Indiana Pacers.
That’s why the Knicks aren’t getting too high, nor are the Pacers getting too low, as the Eastern Conference Finals shift back to Indianapolis for Game 6 on Saturday night.
“We have no more room for error,” Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. “It’s our backs against the wall, and every game is do or die. So, if we don’t bring that energy, we don’t bring that execution, our season will be over.”
Thursday night’s 111-94 win in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden kept the Knicks’ season alive, but they are still in a 3-2 hole in the best-of-seven series.
The odds remain against them — only 16.1% of teams have overcome a 3-2 deficit in NBA playoff history — but the Knicks are coming off their best all-around performance of the series.
The Knicks limited Indiana’s high-powered offense to a series-low 94 points on just 40.5% shooting, including 33.3% on 3-point attempts.
They ramped up their pressure, with Mikal Bridges repeatedly meeting Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton in the backcourt and disrupting the flow of Indiana’s uptempo offense.
And the Knicks’ deeper rotation — namely Landry Shamet, who delivered multiple defensive highlights Thursday — has paid dividends, particularly in wins in Games 3 and 5.
Now it’s the Pacers’ turn to adjust.
They are confident they will.
“I’ll be better in Game 6,” said Haliburton, who managed only eight points on 2-of-7 shooting with six assists in Game 5 after erupting for 32 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists without a turnover in Indiana’s Game 4 win.
“We’ve got to be better as a group. Our pace has to be better, and that starts with me. I’ve got to be better there. As a group, we’ve shown that we can have some success [in] this playoffs. It was a rough showing for us tonight, so we’ll watch the film, see where we can get better and be great.”
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 32 points, including 14 in the first quarter to set the tone and 16 in the third quarter to help keep the Pacers at arm’s length. Brunson shot 12-of-18 and added five assists and five rebounds.
That big-time performance came hours after Pacers head coach Rick Carlise acknowledged that it’s “always hard” to win a closeout game.
“One team’s trying to move on and one team’s trying to stay alive,” Carlise said during his pregame press conference. “It’s never not the hardest game.”
The Pacers will try again at home, where they are 1-1 in this series and 5-2 this postseason.
Indiana has not lost back-to-back games in these playoffs, continuing a streak that dates back to early March.
“We’re a resilient group,” Haliburton said. “We always want to respond when things don’t go well after a game like that. We understand what the stakes are and we understand the conversation, what it will be around our group. But we’re fine. There’s no need to panic.”
After scoring 50 points in the paint in their 130-121 win in Game 4, the Pacers were outscored there 60-34 on Thursday.
The Pacers are at their best when they force turnovers and score in transition. While the Pacers still turned 15 turnovers into 20 points and scored 16 fastbreak points in Game 5, the Knicks nearly matched them in those categories, largely taking that advantage away from Indiana.
“You’re going to have bad games. This is the NBA, and there’s going to be times where a team is going to play hard. They’re going to beat you,” said Pascal Siakam, who, with 15 points, was the only Pacers starter to score in double-figures.
“It is just all about us, man. It’s always been us against the world, and I don’t expect it to change. … We’re up 3-2 in a series, and we have an opportunity to go back home and show what we’re made of.”
The Knicks are trying to become the 14th team in NBA history (out of 298) to come back from a 3-1 deficit. They would become the first team to win a conference finals after losing Games 1 and 2 at home.
They can get one step closer with a win in Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“As soon as the ball is tossed up in the air, we’ve got to be ready to go,” Brunson said. “That’s our mindset.”
