The New York Knicks moved one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals with a 121-91 win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. After Indiana was able to even up the series by defending its homecourt, the Knicks were able to hunker down and run them out of Madison Square Garden behind the latest playoff masterpiece from Jalen Brunson.
One of the defining things about Game 5 was that it was the first time we’ve really seen emotions boil over with these two things, as there were multiple technical fouls handed out. At one point, Donte DiVincenzo ran into a screen by Myles Turner and got his money’s worth, which led to the two of them getting into it with one another before they were separated.
Donte DiVincenzo dunks on the Pacers then gets into it with Myles Turner pic.twitter.com/evmuNWWO6Y
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 15, 2024
Unsurprisingly, DiVincenzo got asked about this after the game, and instead of trying to lower the temperature a bit, he opted to prod Turner and the Pacers.
"They were trying to be tough guys. That's not their identity… Nobody's gonna fight in the NBA. Take the foul, keep it moving. You're not a tough guy, just keep it moving."
Donte DiVincenzo on his altercation with Myles Turner: pic.twitter.com/Zbw0KTxGlD
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 15, 2024
“They were trying to be tough guys,” DiVincenzo told the press. “That’s not their identity, and there was nothing more to that. I just didn’t agree with trying to walk up on somebody that you … nobody’s gonna fight in the NBA, so take the foul, keep it moving. You’re not a tough guy, just keep it moving.”
DiVincenzo is not the first person to call out the Pacers like this during the 2024 playoffs, as Bobby Portis called them a team of “frontrunners.”
