Trailing by double digits early in the third quarter of Game 2, the New York Knicks turned to their trio of Villanova Wildcats to key their comeback.
Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo led a furious Knicks charge where they outscored the Pacers 18-2 over a six-minute stretch in the third quarter. The trio of Wildcats combined for 13 points, five rebounds and four assists in the stretch, with a steal and a block.
Before the run officially started, DiVincenzo, a college teammate of Hart and Brunson at Villanova, made consecutive three-pointers, trading baskets with the Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard, then followed up with a dunk.
Villanova won national championships in 2016 and 2018, and so far, their alums are keeping the Knicks’ playoff hopes alive in 2024.