The New York Knicks continue their remarkable run, bouncing back from Saturday’s blowout loss to defeat the Boston Celtics at home Monday, 121-113. New York now takes a 3-1 series advantage and is just one win away from their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000.
Jalen Brunson had his best game of the series for the Knicks
The first three games were far from the best for Jalen Brunson, but he found his rhythm in Game 4 and exploded with a big performance. He finished with 39 points (26 in the second half) and 12 assists, helping the Knicks come back down by as much as 14 to walk away with the win.
Brunson shot 14-for-25 from the floor and 4-for-8 from three, getting his way virtually every time he had the ball. He made great plays for himself and his teammates, and the offense looked the most fluid all series.
The Knicks shot 54.3% from the floor and 35.3% from three, and got positive contributions from nearly everybody. Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns added 23 points each, and OG Anunoby provided another 20 with four three-pointers.
Jayson Tatum suffered a bad leg injury late in the fourth quarter
The Celtics are collectively holding their breath waiting to hear the latest on their superstar Jayson Tatum. He suffered a non-contact lower leg injury with just above two minutes left in the game, and had to be carried off the floor and wheel-chaired to the locker room.
Head coach Joe Mazulla said that Tatum will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury.
Tatum was feasting on the Knicks’ defense before the injury and was essentially the sole reason they were still within striking distance of New York. Tatum finished with 42 points, eight rebounds, four assists, shot 16-for-28 from the floor, and 7-for-16 from three.
Though the severity is still not known, it is clear that the injury is pretty serious, putting his availability for the rest of the series in doubt. That will have significant ramifications on the Celtics the rest of the way, but the Knicks need to keep applying pressure to close out the series.
Overview
Game 4 was arguably the most well-rounded performance by the Knicks all postseason, and they secured a much-needed win at home to push the Celtics to the brink of elimination. New York will have a chance to close out the series on Wednesday at the TD Garden in Boston.