The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers rivalry seems to be alive and well. During the Knicks' blowout Game 5 victory on Tuesday, things got a little chippy between Donte DiVincenzo and Myles Turner.
DiVincenzo had a put-back dunk that put the Knicks up 22 points in the third quarter. As the crowd in Madison Square Garden celebrated, he headed to the opposite side of the court and ran into a screen set by Turner. They soon got into it but were separated quickly as emotions ran high. DiVincenzo and Turner were both hit with technical fouls for the dust-up.
When asked about the incident after the game, DiVincenzo had some interesting comments about the Pacers' attitude.
"They're trying to be tough guys. And that's not their identity and there is nothing more to that," DiVincenzo told reporters in the locker room. "I don't agree with trying to walk up on somebody. Nobody is going to fight in the NBA. So take the foul, keep it moving. You're not a tough guy."
DiVincenzo himself did not have the best shooting night as he finished with eight points, going 4-for-14 from the field. However, he contributed seven rebounds, four assists and a game-high three steals. Jalen Brunson was the star of the night as he lifted the Knicks with 44 points -- which marked his fifth time reaching 40 points in these playoffs. Josh Hart and Alec Burks contributed with 18 points each, while Miles McBride added 17 more. Burks had a solid performance coming off the bench as he went 5-for-8 from beyond the arc.
While they had found themselves on the wrong side of a blowout during Game 4, the Knicks bounced back and are now up 3-2 in their second-round series. They need just one more win to earn a ticket to their first Eastern Conference finals since 2000.