In Game 5, the Knicks began a 6-foot-4 power forward and three guards. They were dominant in the paint in the opening quarter for whatever reason.
Halfway through the first quarter, the Knicks went on an 11-0 run that ended a four-minute stretch in which they had made nine straight points. Josh Hart’s three-pointer was the only one of those shots to come from farther than ten feet away from the hoop. Center The team’s lone tall starter, Isaiah Hartenstein, crushed Aaron Nesmith with a screen before snatching five offensive rebounds, dishing out two assists, and launching a vicious putback slam dunk to add to their interior scoring.
In the opening frame, the Knicks grabbed seven offensive rebounds. In all, the Pacers grabbed five rebounds. In the first quarter, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart both scored ten points, while newcomer Miles “Deuce” McBride scored nine. Indiana managed to hold on, making four of their five three-point attempts and collecting threes from four different players.
