Jalen Brunson scored 39 points in just three quarters as the New York Knicks continued their push to secure the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference by defeating the Boston Celtics 118-109 on Thursday night.
“We executed well and made some great plays,” Brunson said. “Facing off against them is always a good gauge of where we stand. We performed solidly tonight, although we know their potential. We just had the edge tonight.”
The Knicks, fresh off clinching a playoff berth, moved within one game of the Milwaukee Bucks for the second seed, with both teams having two games remaining. New York needs to win both and hope the Bucks lose theirs against Oklahoma City and Orlando, since Milwaukee holds the tiebreaker.
Brunson had an impressive shooting night, going 15 of 23 from the field and sinking 6 of 11 from beyond the arc. His backcourt partner, Donte DiVincenzo, contributed 17 points, while Josh Hart recorded a double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Bojan Bogdanovic, a key addition at the trade deadline, also provided a boost off the bench with 14 points.
In his first matchup against Boston since joining the Knicks, OG Anunoby contributed 12 points. “We played as a cohesive unit,” Anunoby said. “We locked down defensively, executed well, and Jalen was outstanding with his drives into the paint.”
Jayson Tatum led the scoring for Boston with 18 points, while Payton Pritchard added 16 points off the bench. Despite their efforts, the Celtics struggled on the boards, losing the rebounding battle 52-36 and giving up 22 second-chance points.
“Losing like this hurts, but maybe it’s a wake-up call for us to enter the playoffs with a stronger mentality,” said center Kristaps Porzingis. “This isn’t the team our fans know, and we’re determined to show up when it matters.”
Despite already securing home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, the Celtics fielded their top lineup. With the Knicks holding a sizable lead, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla opted to give his reserves significant minutes in the fourth quarter, while Brunson rested for the remainder of the game.
“We lacked toughness in the last two games and didn’t meet our standards,” remarked Jaylen Brown. “The postseason requires a different level of play, and we need to increase ours.”
