In an electrifying match in Boston, Jayson Tatum dazzled the crowd by scoring 25 points, snagging 10 rebounds, and dishing out nine assists to propel the Boston Celtics to a 118-105 win over the New York Knicks. Just shy of back-to-back triple-doubles, Tatum had recently achieved the feat in their victory against Philadelphia on Thursday.
Jaylen Brown contributed significantly with 24 points and eight rebounds, while Derrick White chipped in with 19 points. With this win, the Celtics notched their fifth consecutive victory and improved their record to an impressive 3-0 against the Knicks this season.
Leading the charge for New York was Karl-Anthony Towns, who put up 24 points, and Jalen Brunson, who added 22. The Knicks mounted a spirited comeback, cutting down a 77-50 deficit in the third quarter to just six points at 95-89, thanks to a driving layup by Mikal Bridges in the early moments of the final quarter. However, the Celtics quickly extinguished the threat with a decisive 10-0 run, highlighted by six consecutive points from Brown.
The Knicks were reeling from a tough 37-point loss at the hands of the Eastern Conference frontrunners, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Friday. Their fortunes didn’t improve as Boston surged to a 27-point lead early in the third quarter, fueled by back-to-back three-pointers from Tatum and Brown within just 20 seconds.
Returning to action for the Knicks was Josh Hart, who made his presence felt with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists after missing two games due to a sore right knee. Despite his efforts, the gap between the two teams proved too daunting to bridge.
The Celtics, who had already bested the Knicks by margins of 23 and 27 points in their previous encounters this season, continued their dominance. As the Knicks attempted to close the gap, White’s strategic inbounds pass to Kristaps Porzingis resulted in an emphatic single-handed slam, energizing the Boston crowd and quelling New York’s hopes of a substantial comeback.
Boston has averaged a staggering 127 points in their trio of victories against New York. Looking ahead, the Knicks will face the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, while the Celtics are set to square off against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.
