The New York Knicks delivered a commanding statement on Friday night, crushing the reigning NBA champions, the Boston Celtics, 119-81, to seal their place in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years.
With a dominant 4-2 series triumph, the Knicks dismantled Boston at Madison Square Garden, riding on the back of a well-rounded team effort that saw six players score in double digits.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each notched 23 points, while Mikal Bridges knocked down four shots from beyond the arc to finish with 22.
Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 21 points, and Josh Hart rounded out the highlights with a triple-double performance—10 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
The emphatic victory sets up a hotly anticipated showdown with long-time rivals, the Indiana Pacers, for a spot in the NBA Finals.
Riding high from Friday’s demolition job, New York enters the upcoming best-of-seven series full of momentum, having bounced back from a heavy loss in Game 5.
“In game five they got the best of us and we responded tonight,” Brunson said in a post-game interview with ESPN. “We just found a way to keep making plays on the defensive side, the offense was just rolling.”
Brunson, leading the team’s resurgence, carries a personal connection to the Knicks’ past. His father, Rick Brunson, was part of the last New York team to reach this stage in the playoffs back in 2000.
“This is great. I mean, the fact that we haven’t been here since my dad was on the team — he’s not gonna like that — but it means a lot to this organization and this city,” Brunson added.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau hailed his team’s performance, noting the intensity and focus with which they approached the must-win game.
“I thought from start to finish we were terrific,” Thibodeau said. “(The Celtics) are a terrific team on both sides of the ball. They play their style no matter what, and so they’re not going to hand you anything. You have to earn it. And I felt we did that.
“But we can’t get carried away. Obviously it’s a great win and we advance. But you also understand that you have to get ready for the next series. We know that Indiana is a terrific team and we’re going to have to be ready.”
A star-studded crowd including Timothee Chalamet, Lenny Kravitz, Ben Stiller, and Spike Lee turned out to witness the Knicks’ playoff masterclass, as the home team took early control with a 26-20 first-quarter lead and exploded in the second with a 38-17 run that all but sealed Boston’s fate by halftime.
The Celtics, hampered by the loss of Jayson Tatum to injury in Game 4, had sparked faint hopes of a comeback with their Game 5 win.
But those hopes were dashed under the Knicks’ relentless pressure, with the lead ballooning to 41 points during the third quarter.
Jaylen Brown led Boston’s scoring effort with 20 points, while Al Horford and Payton Pritchard chipped in 10 and 11 points respectively. Derrick White, Boston’s hero in Game 5 with 34 points, managed only eight this time.
Reflecting on the defeat, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla remained proud of his squad’s effort despite falling short.
“At the end of the day, we set a goal out, and we didn’t achieve that goal,” Mazzulla said. “But that shouldn’t take away from the mindset and effort that the players put in…the approach, the process, you can’t ask for anymore from the guys. I thought they gave everything they had throughout the season.
“You have to take your hats off to the Knicks. They played a great series and they’ve been great all year, and Thibs is a great coach — so you have to take your hat off to them.”