Jalen Brunson’s fan delivers knockout blow to Bennedict Mathurin’s fan as Knicks vs. Pacers rivalry turns wild outside MSG

The battle between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers extended well after Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals ended on Thursday. Fans of both teams assembled for a boxing bout outside Madison Square Garden, as two enthusiasts, donning Jalen Brunson and Bennedict Mathurin jerseys, exchanged blows while wearing protective gear.

A crowd gathered outside the arena to witness the two fans square off. One clip of the incident showed supporters of both teams cheering on their respective representatives. After a series of heavy punches, the makeshift referee declared the Knicks fan the winner.

Trending

@dev_njo’s TikTok clip went viral on social media, with several users erupting with reactions.

COOPA (Reformed Luka Stan)

@DaRealRainman69

Brunson cooked that bum

Sports Fan

@1DollarBets_

Hear me out. Both teams best players have a 3 minute boxing match center court. Player that wins, his team starts off winning 10-0

Steven Arce

@unfollowMe_jpg

Kinda already did in game 4

Draymond Loud 🌳🌬

@Lawd_Trees

Best fans ever

Noel El Magnifico

@NoelElMagnifico

NYC having playoff fight clubs 🤣🤣🤣

🤴🏽

@G_KimbroughJr

There’s no way NY is a real place dawg 🤣

Coincidentally, the two players were also involved in a controversial play during Thursday’s clash. At one point, Jalen Brunson was seen deliberately grabbing Mathurin’s jersey to stop him from joining Indiana’s fast break.

Both also delivered impressive performances for their respective teams. Mathurin posted a stat line of 23 points and nine rebounds, but it was the New York star who had the last laugh. The guard recorded a game-high 32 points, leading the Knicks to a 111-94 win.

Jalen Brunson receives lofty compliments from Karl-Anthony Towns

The New York Knicks put up a commanding performance against the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 on Thursday, never once trailing and maintaining their lead from the get-go.

Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns spoke about Jalen Brunson’s 14-point first quarter, lauding him for setting the tone early. Towns also emphasized New York's improved defense, restricting the Pacers to merely 23 points in the opening period.

“He was cooking, that's what I saw, I saw him cooking. Just when he's playing like that and he's hitting shots, obviously energizes everyone,” KAT said in the postgame press conference. “You wanna be able to get some stops while the cap is on that kind of burner. So we did a great job of just executing, holding them to 23 points in the first quarter, something that we did not do well the last game.”

The Knicks restricted the Indiana Pacers to record their lowest-scoring outing of the playoffs and fail to reach the 100-point mark for the first time this postseason.

A similar defensive performance in Game 6 on Saturday will improve the Knicks’ chances of forcing a Game 7. The Pacers lead the series 3-2.

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About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over four years of experience in the field with The SportsRush.

Advait has a love of basketball that stems from playing the game, and has represented Mumbai North at the Inter-District State Championship and Maharashtra at the ASISC National Games.

His favorite team is the New Orleans Pelicans, although Advait also has an affinity for the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. His favorite player of all time was Kobe Bryant, as the Lakers legend's undeniable talent and mentality were just unignorable. As for players in the current game, Stephen Curry, Zion Williamson, Victor Wembanyama, and Kyrie Irving are top of Advait's list.

When not watching or writing about sports, Advait is a fan of true crime shows, board games and console gaming.

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