United States – The Boston Celtics demonstrated their resilience at TD Garden by defeating the New York Knicks with a score of 127-102, thus forcing a sixth game in the Eastern Conference semifinals, where the Knicks lead the series 3-2.
Wednesday’s game took place despite the absence of Jayson Tatum, who underwent surgery on his Achilles tendon and will not return to competition until 2026. The Celtics, driven by the desire to stay in the fight, did not give up against the Knicks, who were looking to close out the series.
Next Friday, Madison Square Garden will be the venue for the sixth game, where the Knicks will have the opportunity to advance to the conference finals. In the event of a Celtics victory, the seventh and decisive game would be played in Boston.
In the Eastern Conference finals, the Indiana Pacers are already waiting for their rival, after winning 4-1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Celtics Triple Festival
Derrick White led the Celtics’ attack with seven three-pointers, contributing to the 22 three-pointers scored by the team, with an impressive 44.9% effectiveness from beyond the arc and 52.4% in field goals.
White scored 34 points, while Jaylen Brown, MVP of the last Finals, achieved a double-double with 26 points, 12 assists and 8 rebounds. Jrue Holiday contributed 17 points and Al Horford, with a combative performance, added 12 points and 5 rebounds.
In contrast, Kristaps Porzingis had a discreet performance, scoring only one point and playing 12 minutes. Payton Pritchard, from the bench, added 17 points and five three-pointers, while Luke Kornet contributed 10 points and 9 rebounds.
For the Knicks, Josh Hart led with 24 points, followed by Jalen Brunson with 22 and Karl Anthony Towns with 19 points and 8 rebounds.
The Knicks built an eight-point lead at the start of the second quarter (40-32), but mistakes and turnovers allowed Boston to tie the score. White already had 19 points at halftime, and Brown added 17, reaching halftime with a tie at 59.
The third quarter was key, with the Celtics scoring 32 points against the Knicks’ 17, including a 16-3 run. At the end of the third period, Boston led 91-76 and maintained the pace in an euphoric TD Garden.
Boston’s lead grew to 28 points (127-99). Both franchises are already focused on next Friday’s crucial game.
