Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart Seal Comeback Win for Knicks

Villanova alumni Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart cut into their Eastern Conference Finals deficit on Sunday, May 25, helping the New York Knicks to a 110-106 road win over the Indiana Pacers.

After averaging 39.5 points in the first two games of the series, Brunson finished second on the team in scoring with 23 points, just one point behind Karl-Anthony Towns despite playing only 31 minutes due to foul trouble.

After giving the Knicks an 89-88 lead — they trailed by as much as 20 points earlier in the game — Brunson checked out with 7:03 to play in the fourth quarter after acquiring his fifth foul. Despite not checking back in until less than two minutes remained, Jalen Brunson was immediately ready to go, scoring a tie-breaking jump shot on the Knicks’ subsequent possession. He then added two free throws to help seal the game, while Hart went a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe in the final 20 seconds.

Coming off the bench as the Knicks try to juggle their lineup and find some momentum, Hart notched eight points and ten rebounds, flirting with a double-double. Bridges put up 15 points as a supplementary scoring option.

The Knicks now trail 2-1 in their series with Indiana, set to continue at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26. Elsewhere in the NBA, Villanova alumnus Donte DiVincenzo and his Minnesota Timberwolves face an identical 2-1 deficit against the Oklahoma City Thunder.