Mayes Yousef
The New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics 119-81 on Friday to eliminate the defending NBA champions from the playoffs.
The result secured the Knicks a place in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years, as they wrapped up a 4-2 series win.
Six Knicks players scored in double digits. Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each had 23 points, while Mikal Bridges added 22 with four three-pointers. Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 21 points, and Josh Hart recorded a triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
The win sets up a series against the Indiana Pacers next week, with a spot in the NBA Finals on the line.
New York heads into the best-of-seven matchup coming off a dominant performance. Boston had controlled game five, but the Knicks responded by taking command early and never looking back.
“In game five they got the best of us and we responded tonight,” Brunson said in a postgame interview. “We just kept making plays on defense, and the offense followed.”
Brunson’s appearance in the conference finals comes 25 years after his father Rick was part of the last Knicks team to reach this stage in 2000.
“This means a lot to the team and the city,” Brunson added.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau credited his squad for executing on both ends of the floor.
“I thought we played well from start to finish,” Thibodeau said. “Boston is strong on both sides of the ball and doesn’t give anything away, so we had to earn this. Now it’s about getting ready for Indiana.”
Several well-known figures, including Timothee Chalamet, Lenny Kravitz, Ben Stiller, and Spike Lee, were courtside at Madison Square Garden for the game.
Boston, already missing Jayson Tatum due to an injury suffered in game four, had raised hopes with a win in game five. But the Knicks gained control with a 26-20 lead after the first quarter and followed it up with a 38-17 second quarter to go into halftime up 64-37.
The lead grew to as many as 41 points during the third quarter as the Knicks maintained their grip on the game.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 20 points. Al Horford scored 10, and Payton Pritchard had 11. Derrick White, who scored 34 in game five, finished with eight.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla acknowledged the effort of his players despite the outcome.
“We set a goal, and we didn’t reach it,” Mazzulla said. “But I have no complaints about how the team approached the season. The Knicks earned this series.”