NBA Playoffs: Jalen Brunson, after early injury scare, leads Knicks past Pacers for Game 2 win

The Indiana Pacers looked poised to even the series Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Then Jalen Brunson came back.

Brunson, after dealing with an early injury, returned and led the Knicks to a key 130-121 victory over the Pacers in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. This gave the Knicks a 2-0 series lead as they return to Indianapolis.

“I’m just happy to be (back), to be honest with you,” Brunson said on TNT. “We found a way. That’s all.”

Pacers surge early with Jalen Brunson out

The Pacers went on a 17-point swing in the first half after the Knicks lost Brunson in the opening minutes, which nearly resulted in a perfect opportunity to steal a game on the road.

It appeared Brunson twisted his right foot while on defense late in the first quarter. He took an awkward step while moving into the lane, then immediately called for a substitute after the Pacers scored.

Brunson left the match after just eight minutes and returned to the locker room. His father, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, also left the bench in the second quarter to return to the locker room, although the team did not provide any updates for some time. Finally, midway through the second quarter, the Knicks said Brunson was dealing with soreness in his right foot. He was initially doubtful to return, but returned to start the second half to a huge ovation in Manhattan.

The Knicks were up by seven points when Brunson left the court, although they entered halftime trailing by 10 points – marking a huge 17-point swing for the Pacers. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton had 22 points in the first half while shooting 7 of 12 from the field, which doubled his shot attempts in the opener.

Knicks rally with Brunson back

Brunson’s return appears to make all the difference for the Knicks. They took the lead almost instantly in the second half and came away with a score of 21-6. The Knicks held Indiana to just 18 points in the third quarter, including 10 in the final four minutes, and took an eight-point lead into the final period – which completely turned the game around after halftime.

The Knicks, however, lost OG Anunoby to a leg injury in the third quarter, after he stopped awkwardly while driving to the rim. He was quickly ruled out with a left hamstring injury, and finished with 28 points and shot 10 of 19 from the field. It is unclear how serious his injury is or if he will be available for Game 3 Friday night.

Although the Pacers opened the fourth quarter on a quick 6-0 score, Brunson responded with a massive and-one layup to keep them in the lead with multiple possessions.

The Knicks then used a 7-0 run, pulled away on a clutch 3-pointer from Donte DiVincenzo, then a perfect dump from him to Precious Achiuwa to finally put the Pacers away late in the period. This gave them a nine-point victory, giving them a two-game lead in the series.

Haliburton led the Pacers with 34 points, nine assists and six rebounds while shooting 7 of 11 from behind the arc. Andrew Nembhard added 15 points and Pascal Siakam finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was also ejected in the final minute, after arguing with officials over a double dribble that made it look like frustration was boiling over.

Brunson finished with 29 points, all but five of which came in the second half, and five assists while shooting 11 of 18 from the field. DiVincenzo added 28 points and Josh Hart dropped in 19 points and 15 rebounds.

The third game of the series is scheduled for Friday evening in Indianapolis. While there are plenty of questions surrounding the Knicks’ health, both with Brunson and Anunoby, the Knicks are in an incredible position to advance to their inaugural Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.