Jalen Brunson and New York Knicks Stave Off Elimination, Defeat Miami Heat in Game 5

The New York Knicks will live to fight another day. Thanks to a spectacular wire-to-wire performance from Jalen Brunson, the Knicks defeated the Miami Heat 112-103 on Wednesday night, bringing their second-round series to 3-2 in the Heat's favor and earning a Friday night date in Miami for Game 6.

Jalen Brunson came up BIG in the must-win Game 5.

38 PTS
9 REB
7 AST

Knicks force a Game 6 👀#NBAPlayoffs presented by @GooglePixel_US pic.twitter.com/rgeRNtixbE
— NBA (@NBA) May 11, 2023

Brunson piled up 38 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists while playing a staggering 48 minutes. That's all of regulation, folks. He also hit an efficient 12 of 22 from the field and only committed a single turnover. It was comfortably his best game of this postseason and his most points in the playoffs since a 41-point outburst with the Dallas Mavericks against the Utah Jazz in 2022.

Up 3-1 in the series, the Heat's stars may have been caught sleepwalking. Jimmy Butler hit only five of 12 field goal attempts for 17 total points, and Bam Adebayo was only marginally better with 18 points on seven of eleven from the field. They had every right to feel like this series was theirs for the taking; before tonight, the Heat had only lost once all postseason with Butler on the court.

The series now returns to Miami, where the Heat are undefeated this postseason. If by some chance the Knicks can steal a win, they'll force a monumental Game 7 in New York. That would be by any measure the biggest Knicks game Madison Square Garden has hosted this century. If Brunson can put together another night like this one, they'll have a chance.

The Heat host the Knicks for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals on Friday night.