The New York Knicks secured a dominant 119-81 victory over the Boston Celtics, eliminating the defending champions from the NBA playoffs on Friday. The win gave the Knicks a 4-2 series triumph and their first appearance in the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years. Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby led the charge with 23 points each, while Mikal Bridges added 22 points, including four three-pointers. Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 21 points, and Josh Hart recorded a triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
This blowout victory set up a highly anticipated matchup against the Indiana Pacers for a spot in the NBA Finals. The Knicks enter the series full of confidence after a strong performance that followed a challenging Game 5 loss. Brunson reflected on the team’s resilience, saying, “We just found a way to keep making plays on the defensive side, the offense was just rolling.”
The Knicks’ coach, Tom Thibodeau, praised his team’s complete performance and highlighted the effort required to overcome the Celtics, who had been dominant earlier in the series. However, Thibodeau cautioned against complacency, acknowledging that the Pacers would be a formidable challenge.
Celebrities including Timothee Chalamet, Lenny Kravitz, Ben Stiller, and Spike Lee were present at Madison Square Garden to witness the Knicks’ victory. For the Celtics, who were missing star Jayson Tatum due to injury, the loss was a painful end to their playoff hopes. Despite a glimmer of hope after their Game 5 win, the Celtics were overwhelmed early, with the Knicks building a commanding 64-37 lead at halftime. The Knicks continued to dominate, pushing their lead to 41 points in the third quarter.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 20 points, while Al Horford added 10. Derrick White had a standout performance in Game 5 but was limited to just 8 points. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla acknowledged his team’s effort but praised the Knicks for their excellent play and coaching, saying, “You have to take your hats off to the Knicks. They played a great series, and they’ve been great all year.”
