The New York Knicks extended the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night with a convincing win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 to force a Game 6. New York’s star tandem of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 32 and 24 points, respectively, in the win, joining them with Los Angeles Lakers legends Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in the history books.
Kobe and Shaq are one of, if not the, greatest duos in the history of the sport. Together, they won three consecutive championships from 2000-2002 and went to four NBA Finals. Their 2001 team and playoff run give them an argument to be one of the greatest teams in league history.
And while Brunson and Towns are nowhere near Bryant and O’Neal, their offensive output in the Eastern Conference Finals thus far puts them in the record books with the historic duo, via Basketball Forever:
Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns are the first teammates since Shaq and Kobe to score 20+ PTS in the first 5 games of a conference finals 🤝🔥 pic.twitter.com/XyK5XEFP5i
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) May 30, 2025
Kobe and Shaq achieved this feat in the 2002 Western Conference Finals against the Sacramento Kings, which L.A. ultimately won in seven games before winning their third consecutive NBA championship. While the off-court stuff was certainly starting to affect the duo, it was barely showing on the court with their historic output.
So for Towns and Brunson to join them in scoring 20+ points each in the first five games of a Conference Finals is hugely impressive. Even though, it’s looking as though it will come in a series loss for the Knicks, as they are currently down 3-2 to the Pacers after winning Game 5 at home. They now have to win a Game 6 in Indiana to force a Game 7.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson congratulates Alex Caruso and the Thunder
On the other side of the bracket, the Oklahoma City Thunder have already secured their place in the NBA Finals after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the Western Conference Finals. Former Lakers guard Alex Caruso is a key piece for the Thunder, helping to be one of the perimeter anchors for one of the best defenses the league has seen in a very long time.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the Western Conference Finals MVP and Lakers legend Magic Johnson himself congratulated the Thunder star on winning the award that’s named after him. Gilgeous-Alexander deserves the honor given the numbers he put up in the series, though role players like Caruso had a huge impact as well.
Caruso is still beloved by the Lakers community and Johnson made sure to give him a shoutout on his personal X account.
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