May 9 (UPI) — Jalen Brunson overcame an early injury and scored 29 points to lead the New York Knicks to a comeback victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The Knicks guard injured his foot in the first quarter and missed the second, but scored 24 in the second half of the 130-121 victory Wednesday in New York.
“I just knew I had to get my mind in the right place to figure out how I was going to attack the second half,” Brunson told reporters.
The Knicks will now head to Indianapolis, where they will take on the Pacers in Game 3 of the best-of-seven game series Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Game 4 will be Sunday in Indianapolis.
The Knicks outshot the Pacers 57% to 51.6% in Game 2. They also held a 44-34 edge in rebounding. The game featured 11 lead changes and was tied eight times. The Pacers edged the Knicks 46-12 in points off the bench and led by as many as a dozen points.
Brunson, who entered the night with four-consecutive performances of at least 40 points, helped the Knicks take an 11-point lead about eight minutes into the first quarter of Game 2. He then left the game about 30 seconds later and missed the remainder of the quarter and entirety of the second.
“All season long, no matter what is thrown at him, injury bug or whatever, he always bounces back,” Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo said. “We knew the severity of the game and everything. So we knew. Everybody had confidence he was coming back.”
The Pacers took advantage of Brunson’s injury absence, immediately going on a 11-0 run to tie the score. Both teams totaled 36 points in the first quarter.
Guard Tyrese Haliburton and forward Obi Toppin scored 13 and 10 points, respectively, for the Pacers through the first 12 minutes. The Pacers then outscored the Knicks 37-27 in the second to take a 73-63 lead at halftime.
But Brunson’s third-quarter return gave the Knicks a major boost.
They reeled off a 14-0 run early in the second half to snatch back the lead. Brunson totaled 10 points, while DiVincenzo scored a dozen in the third quarter. The Knicks outshot the Pacers 66.7% to 33.3% in the frame to carry a 99-91 lead into the fourth.
The Pacers, who shot 60% down the stretch, cut the deficit to one point about four minutes into the final frame, but never closed their last deficit.
“We are just sticking together, no matter what,” said Brunson, who scored 14 over the final 12 minutes to seal the victory. “No matter what the situation is, no matter what’s thrown at us, no matter what is a disadvantage for us, we are going to stick together.
“That’s the thing we always harp on for each other.”
The All-Star guard made 11 of 18 attempts on the night. He also chipped in five assists and three steals. DiVincenzo scored 28 points on 10 of 20 shooting. He made 6 of 12 attempts from 3-point range.
Knicks forward O.G. Anunoby logged 28 points. Forward Josh Hart chipped in 19 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. Center Isaiah Hartenstein logged 14 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Haliburton paced the Pacers with 34 points, nine assists and six steals. He made 7 of 11 3-point attempts. Guard T.J. McConnell totaled 10 points and 12 assists off the Pacers bench. Toppin scored another 20 points off the Pacers bench.
Game 3 will tip off at 7 p.m. EDT Friday in Indianapolis. With a Game 3 victory, they could sweep the series Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Game 5, if necessary, will be Tuesday in New York. The series could extend to Sunday.
Tune in to see the No. 10 seed Cleveland State Vikings (10-21, 6-14 Horizon League) meet the No. 11 seed IU Indianapolis Jaguars (7-24, 3-17 Horizon League) in the Horizon League Tournament Monday at Wolstein Center, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Here is everything you need to get ready for Monday’s college basketball action.
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The Indianapolis Colts changed the landscape of Shane Steichen’s offense by taking tight end Tyler Warren with the 14th-overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
Warren took the field in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins and didn’t look back. He’d set the Indianapolis rookie reception record with 76 while also piling on 817 receiving yards and five touchdowns (four receiving, one rushing).
Warren’s emergence put the other Colts tight ends in the shadow of the limelight. However, one name on the depth chart is ultra-reliable, willing to do the dirty work, and has been a staple for the Colts. That name is veteran Mo Alie-Cox.
This is part four of a series where I’ll detail Colts players who may not get the limelight they deserve. Alie-Cox might not be the playmaker Warren is, but he’s vital to the success of the Colts’ offensive attack.
The craziest part of Alie-Cox’s journey to the NFL is that he didn’t play a single snap of college football during his days with the Virginia Commonwealth Rams. This was, of course, due to the program not having a football team.
Very few players have accomplished this, but the most notable is unquestionably NFL Hall of Fame tight end, Antonio Gates. Gates played at Kent State University and didn’t see any action on the college gridiron.
What stood out about Alie-Cox was is immense stature and athleticism, standing around 6’5″ and weighing approximately 260 pounds. This type of build and athletic profile made him perfect for a tight end spot.
Alie-Cox was undrafted in 2017, but Indianapolis liked what they saw from his private workouts and development into a tight end.
Alie-Cox went through a series of signings, injuries, practice squad designations, and releases. However, 2018 is when he saw his first NFL action with then-quarterback Andrew Luck.
He’d play nine games and stack a modest seven catches for 133 receiving yards and two scores. After this season, Alie-Cox got more respect from the Colts coaching staff to begin building his reliable resume.
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Alie-Cox isn’t a freakish offensive weapon like Warren, but he boasts other great attributes that have helped propel Indy’s offense while also providing a steady hand as a pass-catcher in big situations.
Through eight years with the Colts, Alie-Cox has played 125 games, earned 53 starts, and secured 127 catches for 1,550 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns.
He averages just a single catch per game through his NFL tenure, but two things stand out most about Alie-Cox: his red zone prowess, and his excellent blocking skills inline.
Alie-Cox averages a touchdown reception for every 7.94 catches, and always poses a threat when Indianapolis is in the red zone. Given his small usage as a receiver, this is a high clip to catch scores.
As for his blocking, he’s the top man for the job for all Colts tight ends, and 2025 was no different for the former basketball talent.
Alie-Cox led the way for Colts tight ends when discussing his Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade, which stood firm at 64.6 on 220 run-blocking snaps. This placed Alie-Cox 37th out of all NFL tight ends in 2025.
Alie-Cox might not blow anyone’s mind as a pass-catcher, but he’s one of the best rotational pieces for any tight end room in the league. And the Colts are happy to have his services.
I chose to refrain from putting any Colts in-house free agents into my Player Spotlight series, but Alie-Cox gets a big pass here.
I would be shocked beyond belief if Indianapolis doesn’t get Alie-Cox a new deal in 2026. He’s cheap to keep, and his value to the franchise can’t be overlooked simply because he isn’t a household name.
In fact, the Colts would be wise to keep him in Indianapolis for the rest of his career. He’s an excellent vet to have available, does every job he’s asked to do at a high level, and brings a great presence to the locker room.
Alie-Cox has put together a solid NFL career against all odds after not playing a lick of college football or getting an invitation to the 2017 NFL Combine.
The Colts need to prioritize re-signing quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce, but they must make room in the salary cap to keep Alie-Cox in their roster ranks.
Previous Spotlight Articles
–Cam Bynum
–Mekhi Blackmon
–Adetomiwa Adebawore
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – More than a dozen protesters gathered at Military Park. In a dramatic escalation, the US and Israel engaged in military strikes against Iran and protesters are upset, including veteran Lucas Lee.
“I know what it’s like to be on the edge, potentially going somewhere where your life is at risk. And I believe this war is something we shouldn’t be fighting in. It’s important to stand up, because not only is standing up the right thing to do, but it could potentially save lives.”
Protesters held signs that read ‘Hands off Iran’ in front of the corner of West and New York intersection.
Several cars honked in support. Democratic City County Councilor Jesse Brown attended as well.
IPS School Teacher Noah Leininger organized the Anti-Iran War Rally. “The United States spends 1 trillion dollars on war every single year. While there are massive unmet needs right here in our own communities. People need jobs, healthcare, housing, and schools. And instead our government spends a trillion dollars every year to go and bomb elementary school age girls,” he said.
Iranian officials say the U.S. and Isreal hit a girl’s primary school in southern Iran killing at least 115 people.
The US strikes have not only created tension in the Middle East, but also here at home.
Mark Oakley who supports military action Iran, confronted the anti-war protesters. “Freedom for Iranian people, freedom for Americans. Freedom for everybody, but this [protest] is not it. When you’re debating about innocent people getting killed. You are debating the wrong thing.”
Additional police were called in to de-escalate the situation.
Chris Gomez, attended the protest because he wanted to take action. “Trump ran on a platform called the party of peace. That’s what Republicans run their policy on a party of peace, but look where we are now.”
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