Knicks One Win Away From Conference Final After Game 4 Win

The New York Knicks put forth a sterling recovery in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics.

May 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) dribbles as Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) fights through a screen by New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the first half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

It's safe to say that the New York Knicks are once again perfectly fine with losing a late first-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and more.

Mikal Bridges once again rose to the occasion the trade that acquired his services called for while Jalen Brunson helped the Manhattanites overcome a sterling effort from an injured Jayson Tatum in a 121-113 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden.

With the win on Monday, New York now owns a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven set and is on the cusp of reaching its first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000. The Knicks also successfully defended MSG hardwood for the first time since the opening game of the quarterfinal round, avoiding the first four-game postseason losing streak at MSG since a 13-game tally between 2001 and 2012.

May 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) dribbles as Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) defends in the second half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Brunson put in 39 points, most of which came while the Knicks ate away at a deficit that reached as high as 14 in the third period. Next to him, Bridges once again saved the best for last, going 7-of-10 from the field while playing every second of the second half.

Wasted in Boston's loss was a sterling 42-point showing from Tatum, who fell to the ground with a non-contact injury with 2:58 remaining in the final period. Tatum needed to be carried off the court by Celtics staffers and was later seen being escorted to the locker room in a wheelchair.

Following the Knicks' one-sided loss in Game 3 over the weekend, a tied series seemed to be on the horizon as Boston treatened to run away early. Derrick White was a perfect 4-of-4 from three-point range in the first quarter, while Tatum was 3-of-5 as they accounted for all but 10 of Boston's 39 points in the opening period.

Further foul trouble for Karl-Anthony Towns and a brief locker room medical check-up for OG Anunoby only seem to exacerbate the Knicks' woes but they managed to play an even second.

This time, however, the Knicks began their comeback early: having already erased 20-point deficits during the opening couple in Beantown, New York came back from 14 down by outscoring the Celtics 30-13 over the last nine minutes of the stage. It proved to be a showcase for the Knicks' starters, all of who played the whole 12 minutes without a substitution. Between 18 tallies and three assists, Brunson contributed to 25 Knicks points in the period.

The finishing touches came in the latter half of the fourth, which saw the Knick take a lasting lead on Anunoby's fourth and final three of the night. Amidst some tepid calls from officials, that three proved to be the opener of a 14-2 dagger run that consisted entirely of tallies from Anunoby, Bridges, and Brunson.

May 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) dunks the ball as fans celebrate in the second half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Tatum was injured in that stretch after he crumbled to the floor on a Bridges steal, which Anunoby turned into a ferocious dunk. Afterward, the Knicks were up 12 and the MSG premises was engaged in eternal euphoria, which has no sign of dissipating any time soon.

With no word on Tatum's status, Boston's dwindling chances of a repeat relies on it becoming the 14th team to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in a best-of-seven set. The 2020 Denver Nuggets were the last to pull off such a feat, doing so in the Walt Disney World bubble.

For the Knicks, the first of three chances to land a historic advancement lands on Wednesday night when the series shifts back to TD Garden (7 p.m. ET, TNT).

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