Boston Brewin'! Knicks' Stars Silence NBA-Best Celtics
Vetoed by voters for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, members of the New York Knicks had an opportunity to prove their cases in a nationally-televised showdown with the NBA-leading Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
They made a case for both inclusion in the Feb. 19 exhibition as well as the top six Eastern Conference playoff spots.
A 37-point effort from Julius Randle led the way for the Knicks, who used crucial defensive plays from Jericho Sims and Jalen Brunson to secure a 120-117 overtime victory over the Eastern Conference leaders at TD Garden. Sims' rejection of Robert Williams' game-winner forced an extra five minutes, which ended with Brunson denying Malcolm Brogdon of an equalizing triple.
With the win, New York (27-23) earned its first win in Boston since Jan. 2021.
Save for Boston's 25-10 run over the first 6:15 of action, the Knicks controlled a majority of the action to the point of flipping the scoreboard to the point of a 13-point advantage with eight minutes remaining in regulation. The hosting Celtics (35-15), desperate to avoid just their second three-game losing streak of the season, made little progress over the next three minutes but a 16-4 stretch to close out the final frame.
Sims' save was set up by a Quentin Grimes miss turning into a potential Jayson Tatum winner. The ensuing miss was rebounded by Williams but the rejection came as time expired, forcing an extra period that has served as five minutes of terror for New York over the winter, as they had previously dropped narrow contests to Toronto and Dallas over the past month.
Adversity awaited the Knicks in the fifth period, Tatum free throws and a Derrick White triple immediately but Boston up five in a primarily defensive frame, creating a seemingly insurmountable lead as Boston reaised the volume.
Triples from Randle and RJ Barrett (the latter perhaps creating a sense of deja vu after his previous heroics against the Celtics last January) gave the Knicks an unexpected lead, the latter coming with 29 seconds remaining. The lead switched hands on a Jaylen Brown drive after a timeout before Randle eschewed the opportunity to hold for the last shot instead produced two free throws before a Brunson foul put the previous scorer back at the line.
Two misses, however, put the rebounder Barrett back on the foul line and he succeeded where Brown came short. Tatum's pull-up triple fell short before Al Horford got the rebound over to Brogdon, setting up Brunson's defensive redemption and the Knicks' biggest victory of the season.
Tatum, fresh off being nominated for his fourth consecutive All-Star Game, led the way with 35 points. Brunson complimented his game-winning stop with 29 points while SIms, once again subbing for injured starting center Mitchell Robinson, tied his career-best with 14 rebounds, setting a new season-best in the process.
The Knicks' "rivalry week" endeavors continue on Saturday with another big-audience game, as they'll battle the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center (5:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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