Brunson rediscovers form as Knicks rout Pacers

NEW YORK – After his two-assist-against-four-turnover performance in a 23-point blowout loss in Boston on NBA opening night, Jalen Brunson said he needed to be better as a player and a leader. 

Brunson walked the talk. 

With their captain recapturing his All-Star form and the whole team rediscovering their defense, the New York Knicks blew past the Indiana Pacers, 123-98, Friday (Saturday Manila time) in their home opener at Madison Square Garden in front of a sellout crowd. 

It was a statement win for the new-look Knicks, who blew a 3-2 lead against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals last playoffs. 

In their first meeting since the Knicks’ Game 7 loss, Brunson took the spotlight with 23 points, five rebounds and five assists against only one turnover in 30 minutes.  

On the other hand, Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton shrunk under the bright lights of New York going scoreless in 26 minutes. Haliburton missed all his eight attempts, including seven from downtown. 

It was the kind of spread-out offense and stifling perimeter defense that the Knicks envisioned when they surrounded Brunson with a stretch center in Karl-Anthony Towns and 3-and-D players in Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart.

Towns drew away Indiana center Myles Turner outside the paint as Brunson and the rest of the starters had an open lane to the basket. 

On defense, they held the Pacers to 3-of-30 shooting from the 3-point line.

“We showed up today,” Brunson said after the game. “Plain and simple. I think Boston came out with the energy we just didn't match, and it's unacceptable. Today, we just knew that we had to pick it up. We had to turn the page and be better. And I feel like we did this.”

The Knicks were only holding a slim 36-35 lead when Brunson checked back in with 7:29 left in the second quarter. Brunson took over with six points and four assists as the Knicks outscored the Pacers 25-10 the rest of the first half.

Towns and Bridges, the Knicks’ new acquisitions, also had sensational Garden debuts.

Towns finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds while Bridges also scored 21 on an efficient 8-of-12 shooting.

Bridges’ new shooting form was the talk of the