The New York Knicks have a 2-0 series lead against the Indiana Pacers after yet another thrilling playoff game at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won Wednesday's Game 2, 130-121, in a matchup that saw their star player miss more than a quarter with an injury. Jalen Brunson missed the final 15 minutes of the first half with a sore right foot, but he returned at the start of the third quarter and helped spark a rally that put the Knicks ahead.
Brunson ended with 29 points, and 24 of them came after he returned from the injury. His floater with 41.7 seconds left served as a knockout blow to the Pacers. The Knicks were outscored by 17 points as he spent the end of the first quarter and the entire second quarter in the locker room. But New York won the third quarter, 36-18, and hung on for the victory in another nail-biting fourth quarter.
OG Anunoby had 28 points for the Knicks, but he left the game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return. Donte DiVincenzo added 28 points and hit half of his 12 3-point attempts.
The Pacers led by 10 points at halftime, but struggled in the third quarter. Tyrese Haliburton was much more assertive after scoring just six points in Game 1, though it wasn't enough in the end. He had 34 points, but 22 of them came in the first half and he scored just two points in the third quarter.
Here are three takeaways from Wednesday night's wild game.
1. Jalen pulled a Willis
It didn't quite summon all the drama of the original, but Brunson's return in the second half on Wednesday night mirrored one of the most iconic moments in Knicks history: When Willis Reed emerged from the locker room on a bad leg to help lead the Knicks to their first championship in 1970. Coincidentally, Wednesday was also the 54th anniversary -- to the day -- of Reed's heroics. Eerie stuff.
As for Brunson, we're getting spoiled by what he's been able to do during these playoffs, as he ran roughshod over the Pacers after his return, scoring 24 of his 29 points in the second half. He was simply unstoppable getting to his spots no matter which defender Indiana threw at him.
When the Pacers trapped Brunson to force the ball out of his hands, he didn't force the issue, instead making the simple pass and allowing his supporting cast to play four-on-three behind him.
Brunson has been phenomenal for the Knicks all season long, and Game 2 only added to his growing legend.
2. The Knicks have more injury concerns
Brunson was able to gut it out to finish Game 2, but we'll have to see how his injured foot responds ahead of Friday's Game 3 in Indiana. The Pacers outscored the Knicks by 17 points when Brunson was out, in keeping with the trend we've seen all postseason. The Knicks need their leader at somewhere close to full strength to function effectively, and foot injuries can sometimes be tricky.
Anunoby's issue seems more concerning, at least for now. Hamstrings are notoriously difficult injuries that tend to recur if not given adequate rest. With just one day off before Game 3, it's going to take some significant treatment and improvement for Anunoby to be able to play.
If he's sidelined, that would mean the Knicks would be without three of their major frontcourt pieces (Anunoby, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson) as they attempt to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. Tom Thibodeau is known for trimming his playoff rotation to the bare minimum, but someone -- Miles McBride, Precious Achiuwa, maybe even Alec Burks -- is going to get significant run if Brunson and/or Anunoby are out or hindered.
3. Haliburton fades again
After putting up just six points on four shots in Game 1, Haliburton clearly came out on a mission to look for his own offense in Game 2. The spindly guard logged 22 points on 7-for-12 shooting in the first half as the Pacers built a 10-point lead.
The second half was a different story, however, as he scored just two points on two shots in the third quarter while the Knicks mounted their swift comeback. He had a decent fourth quarter, scoring 10 points on five shots, but he definitely looked to be in pass-first mode much of the time -- which the Knicks anticipated and ate up.
If the Pacers are going to come back in this series, they're going to need the Haliburton from the first half for the entire time he's out there. It's not fair to ask him to score 40-plus every night -- that's just not in his arsenal right now -- but putting pressure on the defense as a scorer opens up everything else for his team.
