It didn’t take long for theNew York Knicksto turn their biggest game in a quarter-century into a complete laugher on Friday night.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby scored 23 points apiece as the Knicks eliminated the defending championBoston Celticswith a 119-81 beatdown in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semi-final series, propelling New York into the last four of the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2000.
The Knicks advance to meet the Indiana Pacers, the same team they faced in each of their previous three trips to the East finals in 1994, 1999 and 2000. Game 1 is Wednesday night in Manhattan.
New York overcame a sloppy opening quarter to lead by as many as 41 points during a non-competitive second half in front of a rollicking, celebrity-flecked crowd that included Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Bad Bunny and Lenny Kravitz. It marked the first time New York closed out a playoff series on their home floor since the strike-shortened season of 1999, when they reached theNBAfinals as a No 8 seed.
“I thought from start to finish we were terrific,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said afterwards. “[The Celtics] are a terrific team on both sides of the ball. They play their style no matter what, and so they’re not going to hand you anything. You have to earn it. And I felt we did that.
“But we can’t get carried away. Obviously it’s a great win and we advance. But you also understand that you have to get ready for the next series. We know that Indiana is a terrific team and we’re going to have to be ready.”
Boston’s doomed title defense ended with a whimper uncharacteristic of their team in the Brad Stevens era. The Celtics, who had staved off elimination in the best-of-seven-games series witha convincing Game 5 win, were blown off the floor in a display that lacked the grit, execution and fighting spirit that defined last season’s championship run. Missing Jayson Tatum afterhis season-ending achilles injuryin Game 4, Boston’s depleted supporting cast of Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser struggled to make an impact, failing to score either before or during the Knicks’ decisive 17-4 run that opened up a 33-20 advantage, New York’s biggest lead of the series to that point.
“In Game 5 they got the best of us and we responded tonight,” Brunson said. “We just found a way to keep making plays on the defensive side, the offense was just rolling.”
That surge, sparked by Mikal Bridges’ perimeter shooting and Karl-Anthony Towns’ inside presence, ballooned into a 64-37 half-time advantage. Bridges drained four three-pointers on his way to 22 points, while Towns added 21, dominating Boston’s thin frontline. Josh Hart chipped in with a triple-double of 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, marking New York’s first postseason triple-double since Walt Frazier in 1972.
The Knicks kept their foot on the gas after the break, stretching their lead to as many as 41 points as Boston coach Joe Mazzulla began pulling his starters midway through the third quarter. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 20 points before fouling out before the final period, but his efforts came in isolation as New York’s defense forced Boston into rushed shots and clumsy turnovers. “At the end of the day, we set a goal out, and we didn’t achieve that goal,” Mazzulla said. “But you have to take your hats off to the Knicks. They played a great series and they’ve been great all year, and Thibs is a great coach.
New York shot 46.2% from the field, including 16 of 46 (34.8%) from three-point range following a frigid start. The Knicks also dominated the glass, outrebounding Boston 55-36, while holding the Celtics to just 36% shooting and 29.3% from beyond the arc.
New York’s Game 6 demolition was a statement of intent, solidifying their return to the NBA’s elite after decades of mediocrity. It will also rekindle memories of those classic Knicks-Pacers showdowns, with Madison Square Garden now set to host Indiana in a throwback to their bruising battles of the 90s. For the first time in a generation, the Knicks will play a conference final series with genuine aspirations of returning to the NBA summit for the first time since 1973.
“This is great. I mean, the fact that we haven’t been here since my dad was on the team – he’s not gonna like that – but it means a lot to this organization and this city,” Brunson said.