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.
The Indianapolis Colts signed Philip Rivers from their practice squad to their 53-man active roster on Saturday, clearing the way for the 44-year-old coach of the St. Michael Catholic High School football team to start their NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon.
Nearly five years after his most recent NFL appearance, the former Athens High School star and eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback answered the Colts’ distress call this week and, after three practices with the team, will be eligible to lead Indianapolis against the NFL’s No. 2 scoring defense on Sunday. NFL Network and ESPN reported the Colts would have Rivers in their starting lineup.
Rivers’ comeback began by signing with the Colts’ practice squad on Tuesday. Each NFL team has a 16-player practice squad. Its members do everything that the members of the 53-man active roster do except play in games.
PHILIP RIVERS ON HIS RETURN TO THE NFL: ‘I KIND OF THOUGHT THAT SHIP HAD SAILED’
On Saturday, the Colts announced they had signed Rivers to their active roster. Indianapolis had an open spot for the quarterback after it placed former Auburn All-American Braden Smith on injured reserve. The Colts’ right offensive tackle came out of the previous game with a concussion and a neck injury, and he was not able to practice this week.
At his Friday press conference, Colts coach Shane Steichen declined to name a starting quarterback, saying the coaching staff would work toward that decision now that Rivers had completed his preparation on the practice field for Sunday’s game.
During the week, Rivers took snaps with Indianapolis’ first-team offense, as did former Fairhope High School star Riley Leonard.
“He’s got great command in the huddle,” Steichen said of Rivers’ practices. “He was throwing it well. So, yeah, we’re excited for it. I mean, he’s fired up for the challenge, obviously, getting back into it, getting back into the fold. Feeling the pass rush, got some good work in that, just moving around seeing the defense. It was good. …
“I mean, a guy that hasn’t been out there in five years, to go out and practice the way he did this week was pretty impressive to watch.”
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The Colts lost starting quarterback Daniel Jones to a season-ending Achilles-tendon injury in Sunday’s 36-19 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and finished the game with Leonard at quarterback. The sixth-round rookie completed 18-of-29 passes for 145 yards with no touchdowns and one interception and ran two times for 5 yards and one touchdown.
In reaction to Jones’ injury, and with backup quarterback Anthony Richardson on injured reserve with a fractured orbital bone, Indianapolis stunned the football world by signing Rivers, who made the most recent of his 256 NFL appearances at quarterback on Jan. 9, 2021.
CAM NEWTON: PHILIP RIVERS’ COMEBACK ‘A SLAP IN MY FACE’
Rivers is among the five players in NFL history with at least 60,000 passing yards, 400 touchdown passes and a passing-efficiency rating of 95 or higher, joining Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers.
Rivers also is among the modern-era semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. By joining the Indianapolis active roster, Rivers is no longer eligible for consideration. Because players must be inactive for five complete seasons before enshrinement, Rivers won’t be eligible for consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame until the Class of 2031, if he doesn’t play beyond this season.
Five players have thrown a pass in an NFL regular-season game after turning 44 years old – Brady, George Blanda, Steve DeBerg, Warren Moon and Vinnie Testaverde.
The Colts and Seahawks square off at 3:25 p.m. CST Sunday at Lumen Field in Seattle. The weather forecast calls for a rainy game.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A man has been arrested and accused of killing his 81-year old father and injuring his father’s wife.
Police about 3:30 p.m. Thursday found John Pedigo and his wife inside their home in the 2100 block of South Catherwood Avenue. Police first went to the southeast side home for a welfare check. WISHTV.com first reported Thursday about the discovery.
Neighbors say what happened inside was horrific, and they want to know why it happened. People who knew Pedigo are grieving his loss, and praying for his wife.
Bob Kaylor, John’s friend and neighbor, said, of the gruesome scene, “Beat to a pulp. I mean, blistered, and my assumption was that Bryan probably thought she was dead, knew probably that John was passed, and decided to steal the truck and motor on down.”
Police arrested Bryan Pedigo, 54, for the homicide. Bryan was captured during a traffic stop as he was heading toward Greene County, which is about a 90-minute drive southwest of the home. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said Friday that Bryan’s jail booking photo was not yet being released.
Neighbor and long-time friend James Hicks said he’s known the couple for over 20 years, and said he and John would talk every day. “He was a heck of a guy. We all thought he was a good guy in the neighborhood. We called him ‘the governor’ because their home was the first home built in the neighborhood, and they had lived in it ever since.”
Hicks says John was a Vietnam War veteran and built florescent signs before retiring. Hicks said John had a heart attack a few years ago, and ever since then, the neighbors looked out for each other. “Honest, friendly, and loyal to his friends and family. He was that kind of guy.”
Kaylor said the homicide is something friends had feared for a while. Kaylor and Hicks say the couple had restraining orders against Bryan in the past, and that this was not his first attack against him.
Kaylor said, “How could this get through the ranks? How could does this slip through the system? You only have one life. If you don’t live it free and out of fear, you’re not going to make it, and the fear for them was their son.”
Hicks said, “We had always worried about this guy. I had had issues with him. Bob and I had had issues with their son Bryan.”
Kaylor said, “We all try to raise our kids to the best standards that we can. They did, too. Trust me, they did.”
According to Marion County public records, Bryan has a criminal history. Just this year, he’s been charged with domestic battery with prior convictions, public intoxication, possession of meth, and OWI. Records date back to the early 1990s.
Online records did not yet show a case Friday evening for Bryan following his most recent arrest.
Anyone with information on the case was asked to call IMPD Detective Daniel Hiatt at 317-327-3475 or e-mail the detective at daniel.hiatt@indy.gov.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Latino Expo 2025 Awards Gala will take place on December 12 at La Flaca at The Square in Indianapolis, celebrating the achievements of the Latino community.
This gala marks the quinceanera of the Indiana Latino Expo, celebrating 15 years of recognizing individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the Latino community in areas such as civil rights, health, arts, and entertainment.
“What I love about it, too, is all these people and organizations that are going to be honored, they don’t do what they do for that,” said Charles Garcia with the Indiana Latino Expo. “It’s really an opportunity for you guys to say, hey, we see the work that you’re doing behind the scenes.”
The event promises a night filled with entertainment, delicious food, and inspiring stories, providing an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate their achievements.
Sponsors for the gala include McDonald’s, Indianapolis Airport, Old National, and WISH-TV, highlighting the support from various sectors for the Latino community.
DJ Rican will be providing entertainment, ensuring a lively atmosphere where attendees can relax, dance, and enjoy the evening.
Charles Garcia emphasized the importance of recognizing the hard work and dedication of those who contribute to the community, often sacrificing personal time to make a positive impact.
The Indiana Latino Expo 2025 Awards Gala is set to be a memorable event, celebrating the contributions and achievements of the Latino community in Indiana. Attendees can look forward to a night of recognition and fellowship, marking the end of the year with a celebration of community and impact.
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