Advance with everything! The New York Knicks were classified for their first ESE conference final in 25 years after crushing Boston Celtics by 119-81 and dethroning the current NBA champions 4-2.
The Knicks (third parties of the East) will face with a court and for a position in the NBA finals to the Indiana Pacers (rooms).
The first game will be played on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden de Manhattan with a lot of revenge aroma, starting because those of Tyrese Haliburton eliminated the New Yorkers last year in the second round.
Since 2000 he has had to wait for this legendary franchise to achieve a conference final in the NBA. On that occasion they fell precisely to the Pacers of Reggie Miller.
In 1999 they also reached the East Final and also measured Indiana, but this time they advanced to national finals in which they would lose in front of the San Antonio Spurs of Tim Duncan and David Robinson.
Several more decades you have to go back to find the only two Knicks titles, corresponding to 1970 and 1973.
For all this, the New York fans have lived with absolute passion these last weeks with some Knicks that have been excited again and with a Garden has been a pressure cooker, especially this Friday to enjoy an already historic day for the large apple team.
Jalen Brunson, the essential reference of this set, was the main offensive resource with 23 points (8 of 14 in shots with 3 of 8 in triples), 6 rebounds and 6 assists as Og Anunoby was again decisive in attack and defense (23 points with 7 of 18 with 9 rebounds).
In addition, Josh Hart became the third player in the history of the Knicks with a triple-double in postseason and the first from Walt Frazier in 1972 (10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists), the Dominican Karl-Anthony Towns was the best in the beginning (21 points and 12 rebounds) and Mikal Bridges (22 points with 4 of 7 in triples) He rounded a magic evening of the Knicks, who beat with +38 the record of his greatest triumph in a ‘playoff’ match.
On the other hand, the Celtics, injured in death due to the serious injury of Jayson Tatum, needed an epic night but they were far since they already lost 27 points to rest and came to be 41 below in the third period.
Jaylen Brown tried everything but the success was not on his side. It ended with 20 points (8 of 20 in shots with 3 of 9 in triples), 6 rebounds and 6 assists but 7 ball losses. It was also eliminated by offenses with 2.50 in the third quarter.
Neither Derrick White (8 points with 3 of 11), nor Jrue Holiday (4 points with 1 of 8) nor Kristaps porzingis (4 points with 1 of 4) were up to the challenge. Those of Joe Mazzulla suffered from Triple (12 of 41, 29.3 %) and were massacred by the Knicks in the fight for rebound (55 by 36).
Knicks’s dream
With a multitude of celebrities in the front row -including Bad Bunny sitting next to Timothée Chalamet-, the Knicks had as the first task a incendiary start and achieved it in defense leaving Boston without scoring during the first two and a half minutes.
In attack it cost them more. Brunson only added 2 points but a towns with great desire (11 points) and bridges (10) drove some knicks that closed the first quarter ahead (26-20).
Brown had to deal with an Anunoby at times impassable but Boston threw himself behind his back. But neither White (0), nor Porzingis (2) nor Pritchard (0) leaked a hand in some Celtics already with a 3 of 10 in triples.
The second quarter was a gale of the premises. A scandalous 38-17 left the duel totally on track for the Knicks, who offered in that period one of their most complete and convincing performances of what is going from the ‘playoff’.
Everything went wonderfully to those of Tom Thibodeau: Brunson woke up with 9 points, McBride thousands entered like a tornado from the bench with 10, Hart put his entire heart on each play, Anunoby continued to make differences in the two baskets, Mitchell Robinson was another strut in defense …
… And the difference did not stop growing in favor of some Knicks that in that room flew with 58.3 % in field shots (44.4 % in triples with 4 of 9) and that controlled the rebound (16 by 7).
The wreck in the Celtics was complete with a gloomy 1 of 9 in triples and with 6 ball losses.
The shocking 64-37 at rest left four Knicks players in double scoring digits: Towns (16 points), Bridges (12), Brunson (11) and McBride (10).
Instead, Brown (18 points with 6 losses) was the only one in Boston with more than 5 points. Removing Jaylen The rest of the Celtics crashed with a 7 of 29 in basket shots.
In addition, the 37 Boston points marked their lowest score of the entire season in the first half while the +27 matched the biggest margin of the Knicks to rest in a ‘playoff’ match.
There was no game in the second half. The locals achieved as soon as the first +30 costume (the maximum difference was +41), the Celtics had nothing for a miracle and the Knicks won the right to dream of everything in this NBA season.
(With report by David Villafranca, from EFE)
Your Knicks Are Eastern Conference Finals Bound pic.twitter.com/cgilczigwz
– New York Knicks (@nyknicks) May 17, 2025
