Knicks to the Conference Finals!
The New York Knicks achieved a historic milestone by advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. With a dominant performance, they defeated the Boston Celtics with a score of 119-81 in the sixth game, ending the Celtics’ one-year reign as NBA champions.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby led the Knicks’ offense with 23 points each. The New York team will face the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals, a match that evokes memories of their last appearance at this stage in the year 2000. The first game of the series will be played on Wednesday night in New York.
The home victory was especially significant for the Knicks, as they had not won a playoff series on their court since the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals. The celebration began early at Madison Square Garden and spread throughout the city.
Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns also had outstanding performances, scoring 22 and 21 points respectively. The 38-point difference in favor of the Knicks marked their largest margin of victory in a postseason game.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 20 points, but he fouled out with 2:50 remaining in the third quarter. The absence of Jayson Tatum, who suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in Game 4, also affected Boston’s performance.
The Knicks took the lead from the start, outplaying the Celtics at every moment of the game. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla was forced to pull his starters in the third quarter due to the large deficit.
The Knicks started the second quarter with a 7-0 run, extending their lead to 33-20. A 13-3 run, which included an impressive block by Deuce McBride, consolidated their dominance. Celebrities like Ben Stiller and Lenny Kravitz witnessed the triumph from the stands.
At halftime, the Knicks led 64-37, tying their largest lead in a playoff game in the shot clock era. In the 1970 NBA Finals, the Knicks led the Lakers 69-42 in Game 7, when Willis Reed’s return inspired the Knicks to their first NBA title.
The Knicks’ 38-point victory is the largest defeat suffered by a defending champion in an NBA playoff game.
Josh Hart finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists for the Knicks.
