Jalen Brunson was being picked on defensively by the Indiana Pacers and picked apart by pundits for his ball-dominant game as the New York Knicks returned home to Madison Square Garden on Thursday, one loss from having their best season in 25 years end with a whimper.

NEW YORK — In a win-or-go-home scenario at Madison Square Garden, Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson outplayed Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton to stave off elimination and avoid an embarrassing five-game series loss. It's as simple as that.

Brunson has 32 points and Karl-Anthony Towns has 24 points and 13 rebounds as New York stays alive in the Eastern Conference finals with a 111-94 win. Game 6 is Saturday night in Indiana.