Survival Mode: Knicks & Dubs Stay Alive
05/11/2023
By: Jeff Yoder
Knicks (Heat) & Warriors (Lakers) Take Game 5s at Home to Stay Alive, Force Game 6s
The Knicks and Warriors entered Wednesday on life support, attempting to climb out of a 3-1 series deficit. The stats say teams trailing 3-1 come back to win just 4 percent of the time, but both New York and Golden State were hosting Game 5s at home. The result? Comfortable wins. The Knicks overcame an early double-digit deficit to hold off the Heat behind Jalen Brunson’s 38-point performance. Brunson never left the floor and played a full 48 minutes while New York held Jimmy Butler under 20 points for the first time this postseason. The Warriors were in control of the Lakers from tip to horn, winning three out of four quarters and holding off a late run. Steph Curry (27) and Andrew Wiggins (25) had hot hands, but Draymond Green (20-10-4-2-1) was the “do-it-all” guy in Game 5. The defending champs are still breathing, but they head back to Los Angeles for Game 6. The Lakers are 8-0 in their last eight home games dating back to the regular season.
Conference Semifinals Highlights
Gm 5: Knicks def. Heat (112-103) | MIA Leads (3-2)
Gm 5: Warriors def. Lakers (121-106) | LAL Leads (3-2)
Top Performers
J. Brunson (NYK): 38 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists
S. Curry (GSW): 27 points, 8 assists
R. Barrett (NYK): 26 points, 7 rebounds
L. James (LAL): 25 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists
A. Wiggins (GSW): 25 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
Tonight’s Schedule
Gm 6: Celtics at 76ers (7:30 pm ET, ESPN) | PHI Leads (3-2)
Gm 6: Nuggets at Suns (10:00 pm ET, ESPN) | DEN Leads (3-2)
Read More
ESPN: Knicks Push Heat to Game 6 Behind Brunson’s 38-Point Gem
USA Today: Warriors Fight Off Elimination to Force Game 6 in L.A.
CBS Sports: League Announces All-NBA 1st, 2nd & 3rd Team Selections
Photo: Elsa / Getty Images