Watch: Myles Turner and Donte DiVincenzo nearly ignite brawl between Pacers-Knicks amid heated Game 5
Tempers flared at an all-time high between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers in Game 5, with Myles Turner and Donte DiVincenzo getting into it. The incident between Turner and DiVincenzo happened late in the third quarter, as the latter tried fighting through the former's screen.
The two got into a shoving contest, as Turner charged towards him. They almost ignited a brawl as players from both sides got into it, but the refs intervened in time to stop the situation from escalating.
Here's a video of the incident:
The Knicks were up 22 at that point after the Pacers started the third quarter by trimming the deficit to only seven points. The frustrations seemed to boil over for Turner and Indiana because of the lopsided battle and the questionable officiating throughout the contest.
Isaiah Jackson and Isaiah Hartenstein also got into it in the first after before Turner and DiVincenzo's altercation. Turner and DiVincenzo were assessed technical fouls for the dust-up.
Donte DiVincenzo calls out Myles Turner and the Pacers for pretending to be "tough"
Donte DiVincenzo didn't mince words about Myles Turner and the Pacers after their altercation. DiVincenzo called out the Pacers for faking their identity, hinting they were pretending to be "tough."
“They’re trying to be tough guys. And that’s not their identity. …Nobody is going to fight in the NBA. Take the foul and keep it moving. You’re not a tough guy.”
DiVincenzo and the Knicks owned the bragging rights after capitalizing on their massive lead to win the game 121-90, reviving themselves after a 32-point loss in Game 4 on the road.
DiVincenzo didn't have the best games offensively, as he bagged only eight points on 4 of 14 shooting. However, he impacted the game through other facets, tallying seven rebounds, three assists, four steals and a block. The Knicks were +16 on the floor with him.
Donte DiVincenzo did enough to support Jalen Brunson's 44-point night and Josh Hart's 18-point game.
Meanwhile, Myles Turner had a solid outing for the Pacers as he stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals, shooting 50.0%, including four 3-pointers. He gave the Pacers some life early in the second, but with others struggling, that didn't matter much, leading to the Pacers' eventual loss.
The series shifts to Indiana on Friday for a Game 6 contest. A loss will send the Pacers into the offseason, while the Knicks will make their first conference finals appearance since 2000.