Knicks' defense key to avoid being deep-sixed by Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS — There was little doubt that with their backs to the wall, the Knicks still had belief in themselves, in their ability to fight to stay alive. And there was no question that Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns would, as they have throughout the series, score enough to keep the team in the game.

But facing elimination in Game 5 on Thursday night at the Garden, the Knicks survived because for one night, they lived up to the demands of coach Tom Thibodeau, who made his reputation on the defensive end. With the season on the line, the Knicks shut down the fast-paced Indiana offense with an in-your-face style that warmed the hearts of fans of the 1990s Knicks.

What the Knicks previously had shown only in fleeting moments, they brought from the start this time, and when it was over, they’d posted a 111-94 win. The Pacers’ total was their worst of the postseason and a number they had scored less than only three times in the regular season.

“I think in this series we haven’t lacked scoring,” Towns said. “It’s about us stopping them from scoring. I thought we did a great job tonight of upping the pressure and making it more difficult for them to get those open looks and get those shots that they got comfortable with last game. It’s a testament to our team answering the call. I think tonight we did that. But we are going to have to be even better next game if we want our season to continue.”

That may be true with the Pacers back in the friendly confines of Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday night rather than what must have felt like the walls closing in on them Thursday as the Knicks played a physical, clinging defense with the 19,812 fans screaming “Dee-fense!” over and over again.

Where it started for the Knicks was the effort to limit the engine of the Pacers’ offense, Tyrese Haliburton. Just two days earlier, he had put up a historic line with 32 points, 15 assists and zero turnovers as the Pacers piled up 130 points for the second time in the first four games of the series. But with Mikal Bridges taking the assignment on first, the Knicks made Haliburton work his way up the court under pressure, and once he gave it up, worked to deny him as he tried to get the ball back.

But there were waves of defenders taking turns, with Brunson and then Josh Hart, Landry Shamet, Delon Wright and Deuce McBride off the bench increasing the aggression, boosted by the presence of Mitchell Robinson behind them.

“Just picking him up, trying to be physical with him,” Hart said. “Kal [Bridges] did a great job. We’re asking a lot from Kal. He’s picking him up, running around with him. Tyrese is someone who never really stops moving. He’ll bring the ball down, he’ll hit, he’ll run off of it, he’ll get the hand back, he’ll throw it back to the big, he’ll run back. Kal did a great job today trying to be physical, trying to be on his body and not give him anything easy.

“I think we didn’t have any plays where we had a miscommunication or left him open for three, which I feel like we did a couple times last game. He’s a hell of a player and sometimes you’ve got to tip your cap to him. Kal did a great job.”

“Just energy, intention,” Shamet said. “We had a higher — our antennas were up early and more often. You have to have that with him. He’s a good player. He’s gonna watch the film and make adjustments, and we’ve got to do the same and prepare for that. We know the task ahead.”

Haliburton took it upon his shoulders as he was held to eight points and 2-for-7 shooting, but he was confident it will change Saturday. The Pacers have not lost two straight games in the postseason.

“Rough night for me,” he said. “I’ve got to be better setting the tone, getting downhill. You know, I feel like I didn’t do a great job of that, but I’ll watch the film. There were some different things they did defensively, but for the most part, I think their base stuff was the same. They picked up the pressure a little bit more, tried to apply more as the game went on. But I’ve got to be better, and I’ll be better in a Game 6.”

One of the most helpful developments was that with the fire the Knicks played with, Brunson, who had been targeted defensively, more than held his own. After surrendering 68% shooting as the primary defender during the first four games of the series, he allowed only 21% shooting (3-for-14) in Game 5.

“I feel we picked up our intensity a little bit,” Brunson said. “I feel like we paid attention to detail better as a team, and the little things go a long way. When we pay attention to the minute things and things that don’t seem like a huge deal, then they really do help.

“We knew we had to do something. We had to. It’s win or go home. We had to do something.”

By Steve Popper

steve.popper@newsday.com@StevePopper

Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.