Brunson Leads New York Knicks in Pounding of Pacers

The New York Knicks gave the Indiana Pacers a taste of their own medicine, Tuesday night as Jalen Brunson powered New York with a game-high 44 points in the Knicks one-sided 121-91 victory to grab a 3-2 series advantage.

The Knicks are now a win away from heading back to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

Despite the plethora of injuries the Knicks have endured this postseason, they still found a way to fight back from a blowout defeat over the weekend in Game 4, by playing the brand of basketball that has brought them to this spot: nailing perimeter shots and playing fast and loose offensively.

Trailing the Pacers early by the count of 16-9, Josh Hart's 25-foot three pointer lit a charge into the Madision Square Garden crowd and the Knicks themselves. New York used that shot of momentum to string together an impressive 22-9 run that saw the score totally flip to 31-25 in favor of the Knicks.

As the Knicks continued to knock down shots, Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle wound up calling three different time outs in an attempt to settle his team down. It didn't work.

New York opened the second half on an 8-1 run thanks to Brunson scoring on three different possessions that pushed New York's lead to 13, 46-33.

Indiana was able to cut the Knicks lead down to eight points in the third quarter, but huge three-pointers by Brunson and Myles McBride keyed a 17-0 run as the Knicks to trounce Pacers 89-64 with 3:13 to go on the third quarter, all but ending the competitive nature of Game 5.

Aside from Brunson's 44 point effort, Josh Hart and Alec Burks both finished 18 points, while McBride dished out 17 points on his own.

The series shifts back to Indiana on Friday as the Knicks try to seal the one more time.

MORE NEW YORK KNICKS

The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and it's been one of the most exciting playoffs in recent years. Many of the top NBA superstars today are in the playoffs, while others are watching, following some upset losses. Either way, there's no denying that the NBA has a ton of talent right now. So many of the games have come down to the wire, which makes for some pretty incredible, and stressful, endings. So, who are the top NBA superstars of the minute?

Before we get into the top NBA superstars today, let's do some NBA history and look at the top players of all time. There's a reason they call LeBron James the GOAT. He's the best ever, according to the raw statistics and numbers via NBA.com. James knows how to really handle the pressure and fame.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, James went into detail about his fame and how it has impacted his life, both personal and professional. "I don't want to say it ever becomes too much, but there are times when I wish I could do normal things," he said. "I wish I could go to Target sometimes and walk into Starbucks and have my name on the cup just like regular people." He obviously can't do that without everyone rushing to meet the greatest basketball player of all time. NBA experts know that when you have a superstar as big as James, he never plays an away game. No matter what city he's in, people will go to that game just to see him. I have yet to see the GOAT in action, so I hope he returns next year, so I can catch him live.

No. 2 on the list of the greatest NBA players of all time, according to the NBA's stats, is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He played until he was 42 in an era where that was even more rare than it is today. So, how did he avoid burning out? Speaking with the Harvard Business Review, Abdul-Jabbar said, "I just thought that I had the greatest job in the world, and I wanted to keep it as long as I could. I knew it wouldn't last forever." He also noted that in one of his books, he quoted Jackie Robinson saying, "Athletes die twice," because when you're no longer playing professional sports, it's a kind of a death. That's deep.

Now, let's get into the top NBA superstars today.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's stats currently have him at No. 4 in the NBA, according to NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate. He's a great driver and fantastic defender. That's a dangerous combination. He's one of the hottest players of the season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks is sitting at a Player Impact Estimate of No. 3 in the league via NBA.com. Sadly, before the playoffs began, Antetokounmpo suffered a calf injury, so he was unable to participate. Now, the Bucks are out.

Some might say that putting LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers this far up on the list is a bit surprising. Overall, as I mentioned above, he's the all-time greatest player in the NBA. However, he's currently No. 5 in the NBA right now, according to NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate. He's the GOAT, so I have to put him at No. 3.

Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is an absolute beast on the court. That doesn't always mean his always team wins, but he's always out there, giving it his all. Doncic is ranked the No. 2 NBA player right now, via the NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate.

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, "the Joker," is one of the greatest centers of all time. He's ranked No. 1 in the NBA, according to NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate. He has gotten some raised eyebrows lately, due to some weak Nuggets games in the playoffs. But, there's no denying this MVP is the best right now.