The New York Knicks defeated the Indiana Pacers 121-91 to take a 3-2 edge in the Eastern Conference semi-finals on Tuesday night.
The series will turn back to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana for Game 6 with the Knicks looking to close it out.
The Knicks have not been to the Eastern Conference Finals since 1999.
In that lockout shortened 50 game regular season, the Knicks advanced as the number 8th seed all the way to the NBA finals.
They eventually fell in five games to the San Antonio Spurs.
That feels like a lifetime ago, but the Nets best chance at a championship feels like yesterday.
Even with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, the Brooklyn Nets never even reached an Eastern Conference Finals.
In fact, the last time the Nets were in the Eastern Conference Finals was in 2003 when they were making their second of consecutive runs to the NBA Finals.
Not since the team relocated to Brooklyn to start the 2012-13 season have the Nets advanced past the second round of the playoffs.
Meanwhile, a Knicks squad without Julius Randle, OG Anunoby and Bojan Bogdanovic is doing something that a super team in Brooklyn could not achieve.
It goes to show that togetherness, grit and hustle go just as far, if not farther than talent.
Durant, Harden and Irving had plenty of talent, but were sorely lacking in the intangible area of leadership.
Barclays Center is early quiet while Madison Square Garden rocking between the Knicks and Rangers playoff runs this spring.
The Nets better regroup in short order because this Knicks core isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
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