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00:00The New York Knicks last night on the brink of elimination still have some life yet with a 17-point win.
00:07111-94 last night inside the Garden.
00:11The only game of our five in the Eastern Conference Finals decided by double digits.
00:17A 17-point win for the Knicks.
00:19They cover as a four-and-a-half-point home favorite.
00:22A total of 222 stays well under.
00:25Indiana only scoring 94 points, of course, for a team known for its offensive pace.
00:31It is the first time we have seen a team fail to get to the century mark so far in this series.
00:38By a final margin of 17 points, the Knicks stay off elimination and extend this series to a game six.
00:46And if you heard that loud cheer at the end of the game, it wasn't people cashing in their tickets on the New York Knicks.
00:51It wasn't the simple fact that you're saying to yourself, hey, Knicks fans leaving the arena.
00:56Boy, they're really making a ruckus.
00:57That was the NFL front, excuse me, the NBA front office going like, Knicks might have a chance to get the NBA Finals.
01:03Oh, my goodness, here.
01:04They played great last night.
01:05They did.
01:06111-94.
01:07The score is indicative of exactly how that game played out throughout the second and third quarters.
01:11The better team on that court was the New York Knicks.
01:13And Jalen Brunson, sometimes you just need those sparks, right?
01:16I'm not going to let my team get behind in the first quarter.
01:19He was fantastic.
01:19Sort of disappeared in the second quarter, ramped it right back up in the third quarter to build that lead here.
01:24Loved what I saw there.
01:25But also, from a team perspective, you look at the Pacers starting lineup.
01:29Neesmith, three points.
01:30Miles Turner, five points.
01:32Nemhard, six points.
01:33Halliburton, eight points.
01:35And Siakam, 15.
01:36They're lucky this game wasn't 111-49, the way we just explained that.
01:40Because Benedict Matherin is really coming to on his own with 23 points.
01:43But this game was a wrap, and I thought it was going to be this way.
01:46Maybe a blowout of 111-94.
01:47No, but I thought the Knicks would win, and I didn't care about what that line was because you were probably going to get a double-digit win or at least a cover from the Knicks.
01:55It was never really in doubt, so the impressive part was there.
01:57But, Beth, can I be commissioner of sports for just a moment?
02:02Okay.
02:02And it just goes to something that has bothered me for years, and I feel like this is the perfect time to get it out.
02:06Why is it the Indianapolis Colts and the Indiana Pacers?
02:10Like, and from a standing of we are in the sports media, like, doesn't it trip you up every single time?
02:16Like, we usually get it right.
02:18Like, hey, Indiana.
02:18But sometimes I find myself going, like, Indianapolis.
02:21Oh, no, it's back in Indianapolis.
02:22Like, why can't we just be Indiana on both?
02:25Like, why does it have to be Indianapolis here for the Colts and Indiana for the Pacers?
02:28It's the same city.
02:29Does any other city do that?
02:31Like, hey, the New York Knicks, but it's the Metropolitan Giants?
02:35Like, I don't understand here.
02:36I don't.
02:37Why isn't it just Indiana to keep it easy?
02:39There is the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, Arizona.
02:43Oh, I guess the Arizona Coyotes are no longer.
02:45So, I guess that's kind of a moot point.
02:47Now it's the Utah Mammoth.
02:49Listen, I hear it, right?
02:50And they play their games in Indianapolis, the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.
02:55I get it, right?
02:56Would you rather it be Indiana for the Colts or Indianapolis for the Pacers?
03:01Yes.
03:02Just keep it Indiana.
03:03It's so much cleaner.
03:04It's so much more sleek at this point.
03:06Exactly.
03:06Indiana for everybody.
03:08What's the problem?
03:08What are the fever called?
03:09The Indiana Fever, right?
03:10Is that what it is?
03:11The Indiana Fever.
03:12You are correct.
03:13Get it together.
03:13There is a AAA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Indianapolis Indians.
03:17That's a little bit different and maybe you should change the name for a variety of reasons.
03:21Come on now.
03:22I'm glad that in a series that now in the Eastern Conference Finals
03:25has extended to a sixth game with the Knicks keeping their season alive.
03:29That is the discussion we are having here on the early line.
03:33Back to game five last night inside MSG.
03:36To Donnie's point, Indiana last night struggling to score.
03:39Tyrese Halliburton after a historic performance in game number four.
03:4332 points.
03:4415 dimes.
03:4512 boards not committing a single turnover.
03:48Eight points last night.
03:50Did not turn the basketball over, but only eight points.
03:52The Knicks were incredibly stingy on the defensive side of the floor.
03:57By the way, New York's two wins so far here in the ECF.
04:00Both of those games, games three and game five last night, staying well under.
04:04The Pacers scoring only 100 in game three.
04:07Fewer than that last night with 94.
04:10And in game three, DRS, we mentioned how the Pacers only had four guys reach double digits.
04:15The fewest amount in a single game this postseason for a team known for its balance and depth.
04:21Well, last night, only three guys in double figures.
04:24Only one of the starting five and Pascal Siakam, who scored 15.
04:29We'll talk about Jalen Brunson and Carl Anthony Towns in just a matter of moments.
04:33But Donnie, when you look at how this game started last night, you have referenced it so many times
04:38throughout this postseason.
04:39The coach, JY, James Young, who will be with us later on during our number two of this show,
04:45talked about the Knicks not starting great in each quarter, not closing quarters all that sensationally as well.
04:53And we saw that a little bit at the end of the opening quarter, but the Knicks never trailed last night.
04:57New York led from pole to finish from the very start of the game at the very end to keep their season alive.
05:05On the brink of elimination, that was the best game we have seen the Knicks play so far in the Eastern Conference Finals.
05:10And needed it there, because now you sort of get that momentum back in your corner, right?
05:15You're reeling when you head back to game number five.
05:17You know the fans.
05:18There's two options in this game.
05:19Knicks run away, and the fans have a good time and believe back in that series, which is exactly what you got.
05:24Or the Knicks struggle throughout the first half and maybe into the third quarter,
05:28and then the crowd starts to turn on you with those expectations we were supposed to get to the finals.
05:32Now we're going to get dropped in five games on our home court.
05:35We can't have that.
05:36So now you put the pressure back on the Pacers to say, you have to win in game number six,
05:40because the optics would be like, well, no, no, Donny.
05:42The pressure's really on the Knicks.
05:44They lose, they go home.
05:45No, the Pacers understand.
05:46You can't have a game number seven.
05:48You have to make sure you close it in game number six, which sometimes leads to a lot of added injuries
05:53and a lot of, you know, I shouldn't say injuries here, but a lot of assaults.
05:56They're like, yo, we're down in the first quarter at home in game number six.
05:59This isn't the way it was supposed to be.
06:00The Knicks handled that business early and Brunson right off the bat then showed exactly
06:05what he was worth by saying, it's not going to be your night tonight, Indiana.
06:08I'm going to make sure of that.