BOSTON — Jayson Tatum led the Boston Celtics in a decisive 118-105 win over the New York Knicks, scoring 25 points while also contributing 10 rebounds and nine assists. This marked Tatum’s second consecutive game just shy of a triple-double, having achieved one during a previous win against Philadelphia on Thursday.
Jaylen Brown was notable as well, contributing 24 points and grabbing eight rebounds, while Derrick White added 19 points. This victory extended the Celtics’ winning streak to five games and marked their third win against the Knicks this season, maintaining a dominant record over the New York team.
On the Knicks’ side, Karl-Anthony Towns led with 24 points, and Jalen Brunson supported with 22 points. Despite falling behind significantly, the Knicks managed to cut a 27-point deficit to just six points at 95-89, following Mikal Bridges’ impressive driving layup early in the final quarter. However, the Celtics quickly responded with a 10-0 run to regain control of the game, with Brown playing a key role by scoring the last six points of that stretch.
The Knicks, coming off a tough loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, faced significant challenges from the start, as the Celtics surged ahead early in the third quarter with back-to-back three-pointers from Brown and Tatum within just 20 seconds.
In the midst of this competitive matchup, Josh Hart made his return for the Knicks after missing two games due to a sore right knee. He provided solid contributions with a stat line of 20 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap against Boston’s firepower.
Boston’s winning strategy against the Knicks has been evident, having previously defeated them by margins of 23 and 27 points in their earlier encounters this season.
A pivotal moment came when the Knicks were attempting a comeback; White delivered an inbounds pass to Kristaps Porzingis, who finished with a powerful one-handed dunk, reigniting the crowd and effectively stifling New York’s momentum.
A noteworthy statistic for the Celtics is their impressive average of 127 points per game in their three meetings against the Knicks this season, underscoring their offensive prowess.
Looking ahead, the Knicks will be back in action hosting the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, while the Celtics will travel to face the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.
