The New York Knicks delivered a commanding 119-81 victory over the Boston Celtics on Friday night, securing a 4-2 series win and advancing to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby led the scoring with 23 points each, while Mikal Bridges added 22, hitting four shots from beyond the arc. Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in 21 points, and Josh Hart notched a triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
The Knicks will now face long-time rivals the Indiana Pacers in the East finals, riding high after a performance that dismantled the defending champions.
“In game five 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.”
Brunson’s leadership comes 25 years after his father, Rick Brunson, played for the last Knicks team to reach the Eastern Conference finals.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau praised the team’s complete effort:
“I thought from start to finish we were terrific. You have to earn everything against a team like Boston. I felt we did that.”
Despite missing injured star Jayson Tatum, the Celtics had forced a game six with a strong performance in game five. But New York took control early, leading 26-20 after the first quarter before outscoring Boston 38-17 in the second to take a commanding 64-37 halftime lead.
The Knicks never let up, building the margin to as much as 41 points in the third quarter.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 20 points, while Derrick White—who scored 34 in game five—was held to just eight.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla credited his players’ effort but acknowledged the Knicks’ dominance:
“You have to take your hats off to the Knicks. They played a great series and they’ve been great all year. Thibs is a great coach.”
Celebrities including Timothée Chalamet, Lenny Kravitz, Ben Stiller, and Spike Lee were in attendance at Madison Square Garden to witness the historic win.
