Join Sports+ for a weekly exclusive newsletter, “Inside the Knicks” by Stefan Bondy.
They built a buffer for the third position in the East, which they can secure by winning on Friday against the low-performing Nets. They are now only one game behind the Bucks for second place with two games left.
The Knicks remain in contention for the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
On Thursday, Jalen Brunson led the Knicks to a 118-109 victory against the Celtics with a total of 39 points.AP
The Celtics suffered their fourth home loss of the season, while the Knicks returned home after a 3-1 road trip that spanned eight nights.
According to Brunson, it is clear that they are the dominant team in the Eastern Conference. Playing against them is a good way to gauge our own performance. We played well tonight, but we are aware of their strengths. We were able to come out on top tonight, but we know it will be a challenge if we face them again.
out for the remainder of the regular season with a calf strain.
The latter portion lasted for 24 minutes and was the finishing touch on another impressive performance by Brunson.
The strong defender played a key role in preventing Boston’s attackers from scoring, while also scoring 12 points in 26 minutes.
The Celtics (62-18) were noticeably slowing down and not playing as intensely, as they had already secured home court advantage for the playoffs.
Due to the one-sided game, the point guard fell just one point behind achieving the same feat as Knicks players Carmelo Anthony and Bernard King, who have scored 40 points or more in three consecutive games.
However, the result of Thursday’s game may have been slightly deceiving.
On Thursday, Josh Hart scored 16 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for the Knicks in their game against the Celtics.AP
Thibodeau chose to rest most of his main players in the final quarter, but appeared nervous as the Celtics attempted to narrow the point gap. He expressed frustration in his press conference afterwards, criticizing the team’s performance in allowing a massive lead to become more uncertain.
He made 15 out of 23 shots, with a 3-point percentage of 6 out of 11. He also had four assists and two turnovers.
Game over.
Brunson dominated the Celtics, causing them to give up. Down by 29 points, Boston substituted all their starters with reserve players in the third quarter, including Jayson Tatum (15 points), Jaylen Brown (15), and Kristaps Porzingis (14), who watched the rest of the game from comfortable seats.
Thibodeau described the numbers as astonishing.
Besides any lingering frustration, the Knicks were in control. Josh Hart had an impressive performance with 16 rebounds and 16 points. Bojan Bogdanovic, who had a difficult start to his time with the Knicks, finally found his groove and contributed 12 points.
Tom Thibodeau’s team is performing at their best at the perfect moment.
Jaylen Brown and the Celtics were once losing by 31 points to the Knicks on Thursday.AP
The initial quarter was closely contested, but the Knicks asserted their dominance in the second quarter with a 19-0 streak, securing a 21-point advantage by halftime.
The Knicks (48-32) secured their third consecutive victory, with a dominating 31-point advantage in the third quarter. This win also marks their fifth win in six games.
Defeating the top team in the NBA was easy for the rapidly improving team, as they easily defeated the unenergetic Celtics in Boston with a score of 118-109, thanks to a remarkable 39 points from none other than Jalen Brunson.
OG Anunoby stated that he believes the individual should be awarded the MVP title.
Thursday’s game marked the first time the Knicks were victorious against the Celtics in five attempts this season, with OG Anunoby joining the team.