G5: Brunson + Downs is a good combination! New York refuses to sweep the gentleman, and the East Final suspense is reborn

Brunson's face-slapping battle: The 185cm small man taught Halliburton to be a man

When Brunson scored 32 points in G5, the voices questioning him dragged the team suddenly became quiet. This small man, who is only 185cm tall, tells the world with his efficient performance of 12 of 18 shots: In New York, never underestimate the heart of a champion.

Brunson's outbreak began in the first quarter. He scored 14 points on 6 of 9 shots in a single quarter, and used his signature back to turn over and 2+1 to directly smash the Pacers' defense line. More importantly, he scored 16 points in the third quarter, completely destroying the Pacers' hope of chasing points. Throughout the game, he had a plus or minus value of +18, and he made great contributions to winning the game.

Downs' tough guy moment: playing 24+13 with injuries. The inside bully awakens

Downs' knee injury once made it doubt whether he could play, but he gritted his teeth and played for 35 minutes, handing over a dominant data of 24 points and 13 rebounds. His face-frame singles became the Knicks' killer move - he broke through with the ball 10 times in the game, and 70% of the goals in the sports game came from the face-frame, which directly pushed Turner and Siakam's defensive system to pieces.

The most moving thing is that Towns also tried his best on the defensive end. He switched defenses many times to the outside line to interfere with Halliburton, and even destroyed the Pacers three consecutive attacks in one round. Thibodeau said bluntly after the game: "Downs's existence has turned our inside into a wall of iron."

Dual-core shine: a historical performance comparable to the OK combination

The combination of Brunson and Towns is writing history. In the first five games of the Eastern Conference Finals, the two scored 20+ points, becoming the second pair of partners who did this in the division finals after the OK combination in 2002. This stability allows the Knicks to maintain the firepower of counterattack in desperate situations.

What's even more amazing is that Brunson's defense is seriously underestimated. So far in the playoffs, he has averaged 4.1 shots per game, the same as Leonard, and has created 0.4 dribbling and hitting people per game, and is second in the league. Hart sighed after the game: "His fighting spirit on the defensive end is more shocking than the offense."

Thibodeau's magic of changing formation: the double point guard activates Brunson, and Towns becomes the tactical core

Facing the Pacers' joint defense, Thibodeau uses a killer move in G5: allowing Brunson to reduce the ball holding and increase running without the ball. This change of move completely liberated Brunson - he scored easily many times through back-running from the bottom line, pick-and-roll down, etc. Towns was pushed to the core position of the face-frame offense, punishing the Pacers' defense with their footsteps and shots.

The effect of this tactical adjustment was immediately effective: the Knicks' positional battle scoring efficiency increased by 30%, while the Pacers' defensive rotation completely ruined the situation. Thibodeau said after the game: "We need to let our opponents' defense lose sight of the other, and Brunson and Towns did it."

Brunson's key gene: a hit rate of 51.5%, he is New York's answer

Brunson's value is far more than data. His performance at critical moments is the top of the league. This season's regular season, he scored 52 sports goals at critical moments, averaged 5.6 points per game, and his shooting percentage was as high as 51.5%. This stability made him elected the most critical player of the season.

But Brunson's greatness lies in his spiritual attributes. When the reporter asked him how he viewed Thibodeau's employing strategy, he only said: "Thanks to the coach for letting me play the whole game, which prepared me for the playoffs." This hard-working attitude is exactly the Knicks' spiritual totem. The miracle road in New York has just begun. When Brunson hugged Towns after the final whistle, the cheers from Madison Square Garden were deafening. The Knicks used a soul-stirring victory to bring the suspense of the Eastern Conference Final back to the world. Now, they are only one step away from the tiebreak and only two wins from the finals.

This is the charm of New York basketball: never bow to fate, always believe in miracles. The combination of Brunson and Towns is writing their legend. And we are fortunate to witness all this.