The Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks 118-105. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. Jaylen Brown had 24 points. Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points, and Jalen Brunson had 22, but it was not enough to overcome a 27-point deficit. The Knicks were without Mitchell Robinson, while Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman were out for the Celtics. The Boston Celtics improved to 41-16, and the Knicks dropped to 37-20.
The Boston Celtics Hot Start
The Boston Celtics blew out the Knicks in their first two meetings and got off to a good start here. They went on an 11-0 run to take an early 13-3 lead. The Celtics were playing solid defense and getting out for transition buckets. Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday were out the last time Boston faced New York and made an impact on both ends. The Celtics extended their lead with a couple of buckets from Tatum and Sam Hauser. The Knicks weren’t shooting well, and Boston took full advantage. At the end of the first quarter, the Boston Celtics led 38-19. Tatum had 10 points, followed by Holiday with 9. Josh Hart had 9 points for the Knicks.
Cam Payne gave New York a spark in the second quarter, and they went on a 10-2 run. The Knicks’ bench unit gave them life, but the Boston Celtics eventually responded. Porzingis blocked a layup that would have brought the lead to single digits and knocked down a three-pointer. Tatum and Derrick White also scored, helping Boston maintain their lead. Tatum drilled a three-pointer from the top of the key to put the Celtics up by 21 points. Despite the Knicks’ runs, the Boston Celtics took a 64-43 lead into halftime.
The Boston Celtics had a very good first half on both ends of the floor. Holding the Knicks to 43 points in the first half was impressive. Porzingis and Luke Kornet were defending the paint, and the Celtics forced tough shots and turnovers. On offense, Tatum led with 17 points. Porzingis had 13. The Knicks shot 33.3% from the field and 29.4% from three in the first half. Hart had 11 points and Brunson had 7. Payne had 7 points off the bench. New York was trailing big to another top team and would need to turn things around in the second half.
The Knicks Nearly Comeback
The Knicks opened the third quarter scoring five straight points, but the Boston Celtics scored five right back. Brown, who did not shoot well in the first half, got rolling in the third. The Celtics extended their lead to 27. New York stayed determined, though, going on an 8-0 run. They brought the deficit back to 20, and a couple of Brunson buckets had it down to 13. Karl-Anthony Towns also got going, and they brought the lead down to single digits for the first time since the first quarter. Brunson caught fire, making multiple three-pointers. He scored 15 points in the third quarter, willing the Knicks back. The Boston Celtics led 89-82 through three quarters.
In the fourth quarter, the Knicks continued to surge. Towns got a few buckets, cutting the lead down to five. Then Boston Celtics stormed back with a run led by White and Porzingis. This gave them a 12-point lead with eight minutes to go. Brown put them up by 16 with a few baskets in the paint. Brunson reentered the game to try and stop the bleeding, but the Celtics surge gave them an 18-point lead with four minutes left. A White three-pointer put Boston up by 21 and sealed the game. The Boston Celtics won 118-105. This loss means the Knicks won’t pass the 40/20 rule.
Final Thoughts
The Boston Celtics improved to 41-16 with this victory. It is their fifth win in a row. Tatum led with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. Brown had a big second half, finishing with 24 points. White also had an impactful fourth quarter with 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. The Knicks fell to 37-20 with the loss. Towns had 24 points and 18 rebounds, while Brunson had 22, but it was not enough. They let the Boston Celtics build a large lead and could not complete the comeback.
