The New York Knicks will play the Indiana Pacers in an epic Game 6 clash tonight at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana.
For the Knicks, they will look to close the series out in six games against the chippy Pacers, clinching their spot in the Eastern Conference Finals, where the Boston Celtics await.
It would be the first time the Knicks have made the Conference Finals since 2000.
Meanwhile, the Pacers will look to replicate their historic Game 4 performance, one where they pulled away with a 121-89 victory at home, hoping to take the series to a deciding game seven.
Here are the X-Factors on both teams that could swing the series to its end or to a Game 7 showdown.
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Knicks: Miles McBride
With OG Anunoby out and Jalen Brunson enduring a foot injury, the Knicks needed to find an extra spark on offense, and Miles McBride did just that.
In Game 5, Tom Thibodeau turned to Miles McBride. Sliding him into the starting lineup, McBride did not disappoint, scoring 17 points for the Knicks.
McBride has shown up for the Knicks when they needed him most throughout the playoffs, and his Game 5 performance was no different.
Knicks: Jalen Brunson
(Photo : Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
In what might have been the most crucial game of his career, Jalen Brunson dropped 44 points against the Pacers in Game 5, taking a commanding 3-2 series lead at the Garden.
Brunson hit several big time shots, giving New York the edge. Now, if the Knicks want to close out, Jalen Brunson needs to replicate his 44-point Game-5 performance.
Pacers: Andrew Nembhard
Andrew Nembhard's defense has been a difference maker for the Indiana Pacers throughout this series.
So far, the second-year pro out of Gonzaga has managed to be a thorn in Brunson's side, making the All-Star point guard work for all his points.
He plays well off of Tyrese Haliburton, giving Indiana some extra floor spacing on offense while holding his own against other star guards.
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton
It's safe to assume the All-Star point guard has found his game in the second round of the playoffs.
After a downward spiral during the regular season and a weak first round performance, Tyrese Haliburton has turned his play around in this series against the Knicks.
Despite a poor effort in Game 5, Haliburton must bounce back and tap into his Game 3 self for the Pacers, where he dropped 35 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds in the Indiana win.
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