New York Knicks stars join elite NBA Playoffs company after Game 5 win
By Matt Reed
The New York Knicks still have high expectations for their season after fending off one elimination game in the NBA Playoffs, but based on the way the team showed up at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night their postseason journey might be continuing longer than the Indiana Pacers hoped for.
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Throughout the playoffs, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson has been the spark plug that keeps the team's offense going but another New York star has also stepped up recently to help carry the load for Tom Thibadeau's team.
After their Game 5 win against the Pacers, Charles Barkley gave Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns their flowers after joining some elite playoffs company by scoring 20 or more points in their first five conference finals games.
The last time that any NBA duo managed that was the Los Angeles Lakers pair of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in 2002. Prior to that, it was Magic Johnson and Elgin Baylor on the 1966 Lakers.
If the Knicks want to extend this series further and potentially bring it back home to MSG for Game 7 on Monday night, Brunson and KAT will need another big showing along with their teammates when the matchup switches back to Indiana on Saturday.
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