Brunson Leads Knicks Past Celtics to Take 3-1 Series Lead
Jalen Brunson scored 26 of his 39 points in the second half as the New York Knicks became the first home team to win in the series, beating the Boston Celtics 121-113 in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference second-round clash. The result gives the Knicks a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Mikal Bridges also scored 23. OG Anunoby played an important role in the final moments and contributed 20 points as the Knicks came back from 14 points down in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
“They hit us hard at the start and we fell behind,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. “But I love the way we fought back. We showed real toughness and discipline in the second half, made big plays, and worked well together both in attack and defence.”
Boston’s Jayson Tatum had a strong individual performance with 42 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals, including seven 3-pointers. However, the Celtics again let a big lead slip away – just like they did in the first two games. Tatum suffered a possible serious injury to his right ankle late in the game. He had to be helped off the court and was later seen being wheeled into the dressing room.
“I spoke with the medical team,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “They said it’s a lower-body injury for Tatum and he’ll have an MRI in the morning.”
Derrick White scored 23 points and made six 3-pointers for Boston, while Jaylen Brown added 20 points and seven rebounds. Payton Pritchard scored 12 points off the bench.
The Knicks will now have a chance to win the series in Game 5, which takes place in Boston on Wednesday night.
“We didn’t plan to be in this position,” said Derrick White. “But here we are, and now we have to find a way to win Game 5.”
