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NEW YORK -- For the New York Knicks, it was about playing harder, even if not really much better. Saving their season would be more about effort than execution. "Tonight it was just one of them days where you just got to leave it out there on the basketball court," Carmelo Anthony said. Now they have to do it two more times. Anthony scored 28 points and the Knicks avoided elimination in the Eastern Conference semifinals with an 85-75 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 on Thursday night. Reserves J.R. Smith and Chris Copeland each had 13 points for the Knicks, who trail 3-2 and will need a victory Saturday in Indiana to force a seventh game back here Monday. They are trying to become the ninth NBA team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series. "I was totally impressed because we met the challenge," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. "I think as a coach you come into games like this and you want to see whos going to step up and make plays, and I thought we did that tonight. We were the better team in terms of doing that." Anthony, who didnt make a basket in the fourth quarter of either game in Indiana, made a jumper midway through the fourth quarter after Indiana closed within four points. He followed with two free throws, Raymond Felton made a layup, and the Knicks were never in jeopardy again. Paul George had 23 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Pacers. They played without point guard George Hill because of a concussion and committed 19 turnovers. "Weve just got to play more solid. Theres no other way to put it," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. George battled foul trouble and couldnt contain Anthony quite as well as he had while the Pacers easily won the previous two games. Anthony made his first two shots as New York raced to a 7-0 lead in a game it never trailed. He finished only 12 of 28, but got plenty of bench help. "We didnt shoot the ball very well but we made shots at the crucial time," Anthony said. David West had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who were trying to reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2004. "We didnt play well. It was a bad game for us and we were still there," George said. The winner will face the defending NBA champion Miami Heat in a series that will start Wednesday. New York didnt really shake its scoring slump, shooting only 41 per cent from the field, but put together a few runs during the game to open just enough space against a Pacers team that shot 36 per cent and was a dismal 19 of 33 at the free throw line. They clearly missed Hill after learning about four hours before the game they would be without him. Vogel said Hill was hurt after a collision with Knicks centre Tyson Chandler during the first half of Indianas 93-82 victory on Tuesday. Hill finished the game and scored 26 points, but experienced some headaches and showed concussion symptoms since and wasnt able to pass the leagues concussion tests so he could play Thursday night. The Knicks went back to their regular lineup, reinserting Pablo Prigioni, after going with a bigger group in Game 4 in a futile effort to match Indiana on the boards. The smaller group did a better job, getting outrebounded only 43-40. "Were not going to go out without fighting," Chandler said. The Knicks finally opened it up midway through the third quarter with a 12-4 run, started by Smiths bank shot and featuring a 3-pointer and follow shot from Copeland, who got more playing time while Woodson gave little to veterans Amare Stoudemire and the slumping Jason Kidd, who missed his only shot and remains scoreless in the series. "Coaching is a feel. Its not always what players want at the end of the day, its about winning," Woodson said. "Thats all Im in it for." Anthony made a jumper and a 3-pointer on his first two shots, and Iman Shumpert followed with another jumper for a 7-0 start. Smith got a big ovation when he checked in, which grew much louder when he made his first shot, dribbling back behind the arc for a 3-pointer that made it 17-12 with 2:56 left in the opening quarter. Smith has endured a miserable stretch since elbowing Bostons Jason Terry in the fourth quarter of Game 3 in the first round. Suspended for Game 4, he hasnt relocated his shot since, hitting 28 per cent in the first four games and has been criticized for not being focused after he was seen out a nightclub with singer Rihanna the night before Game 1 -- a day game. He was only 4 of 11, but hit the jumper that started the Knicks run in the third quarter. "Still didnt shoot the best but it always helps coming home and playing in front of these fans," Smith said. "Hopefully the little bit of rhythm that I did get carries me over." The Knicks extended their 19-15 lead after one to 32-23 on Copelands 3-pointer with 7:06 remaining in the second. The Pacers chipped away for most of the half but couldnt take the large in part because of their sloppy free throw shooting, going 8 of 16 in the half that agonizingly wouldnt end when both Chandler and the Pacers Sam Young committed fouls more than 30 feet from the basket in the final 2.4 seconds. Notes: Kidd is 0 for 8 in the series, part of a 0-for-17 skid that began with Game 3 against Boston in the first round. The 40-year-old point guard, surely headed for the Hall of Fame, is 3 of 25 in the post-season and hasnt scored since hitting a 3-pointer against the Celtics in Game 2 on April 23. He played 5 minutes and Stoudemire played 6 1/2. ... The Phoenix Suns are the last team to win a series after trailing 3-1, beating the Los Angeles Lakers in 2006. The Brooklyn Nets forced Chicago to a seventh game in the first round but dropped Game 7 on their home floor. ... West was 5 of 13 in the first half. The other four Indiana starters were 5 for 23.Cheap Air Max 97 Wholesale . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. Fake Air Max 270 For Sale .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.com/cheap-max-97-shoes.html . Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said. Kyrie Irving Shoes Wholesale . A lawyer for MLB, Matthew Menchel, confirmed Wednesday the league dropped its case against Biogenesis of America, its owner Anthony Bosch and several other individuals. The lawsuit had accused Biogenesis and Bosch of conspiring with players to violate their contracts by providing them with banned performance-enhancing substances. Air Max Plus Tn Fake .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs.Brisbane Roar coach John Aloisi has compared Alan Milliners phantom yellow card at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night to arguably the biggest refereeing blunder of them all - Graham Polls infamous meltdown at the 2006 World Cup.Confusion reigned supreme late in the 1-1 draw between the Roar and A-League leaders Sydney FC when it appeared Rhyan Grant was about to be sent off for a second bookable offence for bringing down Jamie Maclaren in the 77th minute.Sydney coach Graham Arnold had already told substitute Seb Ryall to start getting ready but when Grant remained on the field, the crowd of 17,322 erupted into a fury.It later emerged referee Milliner didnt actually show Grant an initial yellow for his sliding challenge on Thomas Broich in the 59th minute - even though he took the card out of his pocket, which officials are only instructed to do if they intend to caution the player.Aloisi said it brought back instant memories of Poll, who ffamously showed Croatias Josip Simunic three yellow cards in their 2-2 draw against the Socceroos.ddddddddddddActually it did come in my mind. A few supporters were screaming it out as well, said Aloisi, who was involved in that match as a second-half substitute.It just sometimes baffles you they can get it wrong like that.Match officials declined an approach from the media to explain the incident post-match.Milliner may have changed his mind about awarding Grant a yellow card after watching a replay on the big screen.So weve got video referees already? said Arnold, referring to the fact video replay technology has been confirmed for the A-League but wont be implemented until later in the season.Youve got to ask him that, if he looked at the big screen and that made him change the decision. I cant answer that. ' ' '