Knicks Duo Matches Legendary Lakers' Playoff Streak

With each scoring at least a score, Brunson and Towns made history on Thursday night by etching their names next to NBA postseason royalty: the metropolitan All-Star duo becomes the first couple of teammates to score at least 20 points in the first five games of a conference finals series since Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal engaged in the feat with the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2002.

Brunson paced all scorers with 32 points on 12-of-18 from the field, extending his franchise record with his 21st postseason game with at least 30. Towns, said to be ailing with a knee injury entering Game 5, engaged in the finest medicine to the tune of 24 points and 13 rebounds while standing as a game-best 26.

Both Brunson and Towns created metropolitan turning points: Towns picked up the slack while Brunson rested at the onset of the second quarter, playing a role in 12 points of an 18-11 run that gave the Knicks a double-figure lead that proved permanent.

For his part, Brunson posted brilliant bookends: he got the Knicks' wire-to-wire lead started by scoring the first six points of the game (en route to 14 tallies in the opening frame alone) before locking down the lasting double-figure lead with 16 points in the third.

“I wanted to [set the tone], for sure,” Brunson said of his blistering beginning, per Peter Sblendorio of the New York Daily News. “But it was more than putting the ball in the basket. I mean, that happened, but just trying to make sure we’re all on the same page and ready to go and just trying to give everyone energy. Our backs are against the wall, so we have to give it everything we got.”

Knicks fans certainly wouldn't mind if history repeated itself: not only did Bryant and O'Neal erase a 3-2 series deficit in that conference semifinal set against the Sacramento Kings but they also went on to sweep the NBA Finals, easily disposing of the New Jersey Nets to capture their third consecutive title.