The Boston Celtics outlasted the New York Knicks in an overtime thriller 119-117. Kristaps Porzingis led with 34 points against his former team and eight three-pointers. Jayson Tatum had 32 points, including a clutch three to send the game to overtime. Karl-Anthony Towns had 34 points and Jalen Brunson had 27, but it was not enough. The Celtics were without Al Horford. Ariel Hukporti was out for the Knicks. The Boston Celtics improved to 59-20. New York dropped to 50-29.
The Knicks’ Dominant Start
The Boston Celtics had defeated the Knicks convincingly in their three previous matchups this season. New York has also struggled against top teams in the NBA. But after trading baskets in the opening minutes, they took an early lead. Towns heated up, making a three and scoring inside. The Celtics had early shooting troubles but tried to negate it by fighting for rebounds. Meanwhile, the Knicks came out with something to prove. Brunson and Towns were hitting shots, and they maintained their lead. Tatum made a deep three to close the gap in the final seconds. At the end of the first quarter, New York led 30-27.
The Knicks extended their lead in the second quarter with a few second-chance buckets. They opened on a 6-0 run. Towns was still effective, scoring in the post on smaller defenders. His efforts helped maintain the New York lead. The Celtics stayed in it, as Porzingis hit a pair of threes. But, after cutting the lead to three, they fell behind again. The Knicks pulled ahead by double digits as Towns continued to dominate. Boston answered as Tatum and Porzingis scored. A Derrick White three brought it back down to two. But with a few buckets to close the half, the Knicks led 58-52.
It was a great first half from the Knicks. After struggling against the Boston Celtics this season, Towns was dominant. He had 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting with 9 rebounds. Brunson was also playing well with 12 points. On defense, they held the Boston Celtics to 40% from the field. Tatum led the Celtics with 15 points followed by Porzingis with 14. But the team was not shooting well, and Towns was carving them up. Jaylen Brown only had 2 points and 3 fouls, while White shot 3-of-8. They cut into the lead multiple times in the second quarter, but each time the Knicks pulled ahead again.
The Boston Celtics Comeback
Jrue Holiday scored five straight points to start the third quarter. This put the Boston Celtics on an 8-0 run where they took the lead. Porzingis made back-to-back threes before Brunson and Towns responded. Porzingis stayed hot and knocked down a deep three from the logo. His efforts kept Boston out front, but a few sloppy plays allowed New York to come back and tie the game. They took the lead soon after, snatching all momentum the Celtics had built. Then, Holiday got rolling again, scoring five straight points. Tatum then made a contested fadeaway, and they ended the quarter on a 7-0 run. Through three quarters, the Boston Celtics led 83-78.
After three competitive periods, the game was set for a close fourth quarter. White and Cam Payne traded three-pointers to get things started. Mikal Bridges then nailed a three before Tatum answered. Towns converted an and-one, but Tatum hit a few tough shots. Both teams were going back and forth, basket for basket. With 4:45 remaining, the Boston Celtics led 100-95.
A Towns alley-oop got a pop from the New York crowd, but the trend continued as Porzingis scored on the other end. Then, baskets from Bridges and Brunson made it a one-point game. Then, after a Brunson miss, O.G. Anunoby grabbed the offensive rebound and scored to give the Knicks the lead. After going back and forth, they went on a 12-2 run to take a three-point lead with under a minute to go. Tatum then went 2-of-3 at the line making it a one-point game. Brunson drove inside and found Hart for a tough layup. But Tatum came down and drilled a step-back three to tie the game. The game went to overtime tied at 107.
Overtime
In overtime, the Knicks and Boston Celtics missed their first few shots. But after a Sam Hauser layup, the Celtics took the lead. With 2:28 left, they led by two. A Towns steal and layup tied it, and Brunson made a tough midrange jumper. Then, a Porzingis three gave Boston the lead with less than a minute to go. Brunson missed a three to tie, but the Knicks got another chance with 16 seconds left. Bridges bobbled a pass out of bounds giving the Celtics possession. From there, the Boston Celtics sealed the 119-117 overtime win.
Final Thoughts
The Boston Celtics improved to 59-20 with the win. Porzingis led with 34 points making eight threes including his clutch three in overtime. Tatum was right behind him with 32 points, and his shot sent the game into overtime. The pair were instrumental in the Celtics comeback and win. Brown, who had been nursing an injury and did not look good, sat the fourth quarter and overtime periods.
The Knicks fell to 50-29 with the loss. Towns scored 34 points followed by Brunson with 27. It was the best they had played the Celtics all season, leading for almost the entire first half. Then, after Boston took control in the third, they stormed back and nearly won if not for Tatum’s shot. But they could not get it done. The Boston Celtics swept New York in the season series, 4-0.
