Five donkeys became ten donkeys, and Thibodeau also grew up in adversity

When the whole world was talking about whether the Pacers could break through to the Thunder, the Knicks stood up and told everyone that they were still in this series before losing Game 4, and the Eastern Conference finals were not over yet!

Compared with the previous games, the Knicks started with a very resolute opening game, which was just handed over to Brunson. It doesn't matter if it's Nesmith or Nembhard standing in front of him, and how much fitness is left in the back, if you don't play now, you'll have to wait until next season.

At 6-0 in the opening game, Brunson scored three goals in a row, and the fourth goal was Brunson's empty catch for Miro. Thibodeau still continued the previous Twin Towers starter, and today simply weakened the role of Downs in the starting lineup, directly letting Downs act as a pure space point to stand on the outside to open up space, let Brunson and Miro block and dismantle, and create opportunities for Brunson, so Brunson had 14 points and 2 assists in a single quarter.

But Thibodeau is not completely weakening Downs' role, and the transition at the beginning of the second quarter is the moment when Downs is powerful. Downs played as many as seven minutes in the second quarter with a pseudo-one-big and four-small lineup of Hart, Wright, Shamet, and Wheat, giving the starting lineup plenty of rest.

At the same time, the point difference was also widened, and Downs played extremely tough at this stage, whether it was a good Turner or a difficult Sika standing in front of him, Downs was resolutely attacking the inside, looking for confrontation to complete the shot, and playing a number of morale-boosting 2+1s.

The Knicks' offensive level was continued by Brunson + Towns. In the second quarter, Downs had 12 points and 7 rebounds in a single quarter, all the goals came from the basket, and he didn't even make a single shot outside the three-point line.

But it was Brunson who played best for the Knicks today, scoring 14 points in the first quarter to steal the opening game and 16 points in the third quarter to seal the victory. When the 20-point gap in the third quarter was instantly narrowed to 10 points, it was Brunson's strong play that stabilized the situation, and the Knicks did not panic.

Brunson had 32 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists today, and was very efficient with 12-of-18, including 4-of-7 three-pointers, and his shooting touch was regained at the most critical moment. Of course, against an offensive team like the Pacers, it is not enough to fight with them to attack, the key is defense.

The Knicks had another 15 turnovers today and were also hit by the Pacers on a lot of counter-attacks. But in the end, the fast-break score of both sides was 16-15, and the Knicks lost by only one point. Because the Pacers were also forced by the Knicks to make as many as 20 turnovers, the Knicks put in their best defensive performance in the do-or-die match.

Haliburton will basically suffer a big delay after halftime, and the Knicks no longer choose to sink defense, not give the Pacers the opportunity to easily pass the ball out of the open space, increase physical confrontation, and try to drain the Pacers' physical energy as much as possible.

At least at Haliburton, the Knicks' defense worked. Haliburton, who played a historical stat in the last game, was completely out of offensive firepower today, with only 8 points and 6 assists on 2-of-7 shooting in the game. In fact, Haliburton has a lot of single-digit shots, 3 in the playoffs this year, and the offense can't be opened, and the so-called tandem is impossible to talk about.

Of course, after watching the mistakes between the two sides in this game, the first reaction in my mind is that this level of defense can make mistakes fly all over the sky. The Thunder scene in the finals may be even more tragic, and the Thunder's ability to scramble is no joke.

Brunson played well, Downs played hard, and today we have to talk about Thibodeau's adjustment. Since Thibodeau moved Shamet and Wright into the rotation in the series, he's been trying to match the length of the Pacers' rotation and reduce the wear and tear of the starters.

Today Thibodeau stretched the rotation again, bringing Achiuwa in as well, and the Knicks became a ten-man rotation. To be honest, it's hard to put the ten-man rotation with Thibodeau, but the playoffs aren't just a process of growth, and Thibodeau will be flexible, because if you don't change, it's probably a holiday.

While stretching the rotation, it is also possible to take apart Brunson and Downs for use. Downs' 20 points in the final quarter of G3 is not an accident, you have to give him the ball, give him a certain amount of free ball, and Downs' offensive talent can respond to your trust.

So we saw Towns outpace Brunson for the first time in the Eastern Conference finals, with the Knicks playing more than 34 minutes with five players, but only 36 minutes for Towns. A more reasonable playing time and a reasonable distribution of shots can be used to play a more reasonable basketball game.

It's hard to say today that the Knicks have found a way to limit the Pacers, the series is ever-changing, and every game is different. But the Knicks won home for the first time in this series, at least keeping them there for the season.

No matter how many games are played in the East Finals, the finals will start on time on the morning of June 6. So the Thunder, who were waiting for work over there, once again got more rest than their opponents. Just let this bullet fly a little longer.