Knicks defeat Boston in style behind another solid performance from Brunson

The New York Knicks needed this win more than the Boston Celtics did. So they took it in style, 118-109 at TD Garden. Led by the unstoppable Jalen Brunson, who delivered an impressive 39-point performance in just three quarters of play, the Knicks dominated their opponents from start to finish.

Brunson’s remarkable showing on the court brought him within just one point of tying Patrick Ewing‘s record of 11 regular-season games with 40 or more points. Shooting an impressive 15-of-23 from the field, including 6-of-11 from beyond the arc, Brunson proved to be unstoppable against the top team in the Eastern Conference, which had already secured the top seed and lacked energy.

“The way he plays, the things he can do, it’s definitely special. He’s one of the best in the league. He’s playing like an MVP; (he) should win MVP.”

– OG Anunoby

The Knicks set the tone early in the game, establishing a commanding 69-48 lead at halftime and extending it to 100-69 shortly before the end of the third quarter, marking their largest lead of the night. A pivotal moment came midway through the second quarter when the Knicks ignited a 17-0 run, leaving the Celtics struggling to mount a comeback.

Contributions from all Knicks starters were instrumental in the team’s success, with Donte DiVincenzo adding 17 points, Josh Hart tallying 16 points and an impressive 16 rebounds, OG Anunoby chipping in 12 points, and Isaiah Hartenstein contributing 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Off the bench, Bojan Bogdanovic made a significant impact, scoring 14 points and solidifying his role in the rotation. Despite initially struggling to adjust to coming off the bench after a decade as a starter, Bogdanovic has now become a consistent contributor, scoring in double figures in six of his last 10 games.

Although the Celtics managed to outscore the Knicks 39-18 in the fourth quarter and narrow the lead to single digits, the outcome of the game had already been decided well before. So coach Thibodeau decided to stick with the same five players during the fourth quarter, including Bogdanovic, Precious Achiuwa, and Miles McBride alongside starters Hartenstein and DiVincenzo.

Celtics’ Jason Tatum led their scoring efforts with 18 points, followed by Payton Pritchard with 16 points, and Sam Hauser and Jaylen Brown with 15 points each. Kristaps Porzingis added 14 points to their total.

With just two games left in the regular season, the Knicks are eyeing the second seed and hoping to capitalize on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury, as the Milwaukee Bucks are just one game ahead in the standings.

Up-next: Knicks (48-32) will host the Nets (32-48) tonight from 7:30pm.