The Knicks live to fight another day. With their season on the line, Jalen Brunson’s Knicks came out swinging and took down the Indiana Pacers 111–94 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. From start to finish, Madison Square Garden was electric, packed to the brim with Knicks faithful who refused to see the curtains close just yet.
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But while Brunson’s on-court brilliance stole the headlines, it was what happened after the win that sent NBA Twitter into a frenzy.
Brunson was mid-interview with Scott Van Pelt when JR Smith, decked out in his signature swagger and flashing his two NBA championship rings, appeared in the frame. With a wide grin, Smith playfully got handsy with Brunson, rubbing his shoulders and, more importantly, rubbing those championship rings on him.
JR to Jalen lol pic.twitter.com/WmQH9E3RGf
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) May 30, 2025
“Who is molesting your shoulder? Tell JR, Van Pelt said, leave you alone.” SVP called him out. Brunson cheekily added, “Nah, he’ll just stay here and keep talking.”
But not everyone watching found it equally funny. Some fans online were taken aback by the unexpected touch, with one even writing, “I woulda slapped him if he did that to me.”
I woulda slapped him if he did that to me
— Jerry (@itz__jerry2) May 30, 2025
Before Game 5, the Knicks were down 3-1. Smith knows a thing or two about coming back from a 3-1 deficit to claim the championship, as he was a part of the 2016 Cavaliers who won against the Warriors. One fan wrote, “Give him that 3-1 comeback energy JR lol.”
Give him that 3-1 comeback energy JR lol
— KJ (@kjallday410) May 30, 2025
To be clear, though, this wasn’t anything hostile. JR was just being JR. It was all love. JR Smith has long been a beloved figure in New York Knicks lore. While he never won a title with the franchise, his 2010s run, highlighted by a Sixth Man of the Year award and unforgettable swagger, made him a fan favorite.
He even teared up when he was traded away in 2015, a moment that solidified his bond with the franchise. During an appearance on Carmelo Anthony’s 7PM in Brooklyn, he said, “I ain’t gon’ lie, bro, I cried. I was working out, getting ready for the game, and I came back to the locker room. Steve Mills pulled me aside and he’s like, ‘Yeah, man, we just traded you and Shump to Cleveland.”
So, if anyone understood what last night’s win meant, it was JR. Brunson’s 32-point night, along with Karl-Anthony Towns’ gritty double-double, helped the Knicks dominate the Pacers on both ends of the court. Their defensive pressure forced 20 turnovers, and Indiana never really recovered from the early onslaught.
