sport news Ben Stiller and 50 Cent sit courtside as Knicks secure dramatic Game 1 win over ... trends now

View
comments

Two controversial calls in the final seconds of Game 1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers gave the home-team Knicks a victory.

Jalen Brunson continued his postseason magic with 43 points for his fourth straight 40-point effort as the Knicks recorded a 121-117 victory in front of a raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden that included Ben Stiller and 50 Cent among other celebrities.

But a late kick-ball violation on Aaron Nesmith and a later moving screen on Myles Turner doomed Indiana in a close-fought game that went down to the wire.

Donte DiVincenzo scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half and Josh Hart added 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for New York. Isaiah Hartenstein had 13 points and OG Anunoby added 13 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks.

Myles Turner scored 23 points, Pascal Siakam added 19 and T.J. McConnell had 18 points for the Pacers. Aaron Nesmith and Obi Toppin chipped in 12 points apiece and Andrew Nembhard scored 11 points.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in New York.

Brunson became the fourth player in NBA playoff history to score 40 or more points in four consecutive games. Jerry West reached that mark a record six straight times in 1965. Bernard King (1984) and Michael Jordan (1993) did it in four straight contests.

With the game tied at 115-115, officials called a kicked ball violation on Nesmith that on replay clearly hit the Pacers' forward's hand, not his foot. Officials after the game admitted that they made a mistake. 

DiVincenzo drained a 3-pointer to give the Knicks a 118-115 lead with 40.4 seconds remaining.

Indiana pulled within one on Siakam's driving

read more from dailymail.....