Knicks vs. Celtics, Game 4: Three Stars From the Cusp of a Conference Final

The New York Knicks have pushed one more dire metropolitan drought — and perhaps a few unflattering narratives — closer to extinction.

New York is one win away from breaking into the NBA's final four for the first time in a quarter-century after a 121-113 Monday win over the defending champion Boston Celtics, one that gave Manhattan a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven set. The Knicks now get three chances to secure the elusive national semifinal bid beginning with Wednesday's fifth game at TD Garden.

Who is most responsible for getting the Knicks to that point? Several stars stand out:

Honorable Mentions

Mikal Bridges: 23 points (11-of-21 FG), 7 rebounds, 4 steals
Josh Hart: 9 rebounds, 5 assists
Mitchell Robinson: 8 rebounds (5 offensive), 6 points

3rd Star: OG Anunoby

(20 points (8-of-14 FG, 4-of-8 three-point)

Anunoby's newfound offensive consistency has been the Knicks' bread-and-butter in their biggest games. Entering Monday night, New York was 22-6 when he sank at least eight from the field but Manhattanites were forced to deal with traumatic medical flashbacks from last season when he briefly fled for the Knick locker room in the second quarter. Despite a slow, steady start, Anunoby returned in style, seemingly coming up with a clutch with show-stopping tally whenever he was called upon. It was a triple, for example, that gave the Knicks their first second half lead and his dunk more or less sealed a victorious metropolitan fate.

2nd Star: Karl-Anthony Towns

(23 points (11-of-15 FG), 11 rebounds)

Like Bridges, Towns was brought in to win games such as these. This time around, one could argue that he did so by channeling his inner Robinson: while defense was still a bit of a struggle for the prized acquisition, Towns' interior clogging was a major highlight, as he was nearly perfect on two-point attempts (11-of-12). Perhaps buried in the hoopla of further Brunson antics was a perfect box score in the third quarter (9 points, 4-of-4), one that partly began with an emphatic Towns and-one that kept the Knicks lingering.

1st Star: Jalen Brunson

(39 points (14-of-25 FG), 12 assists)

Towns perhaps put it best, asking aloud "do we all expect anything less?" (h/t SNY) when addressing Brunson's latest bit of metropolitan mastery. Brunson continues to define clutch beyond its mere clocked restrictions: with the game inching away from the Knicks, the point guard put forth a spot of 18 in the third period, just the fifth such tally in Knicks postseason history since the data began being compiled in 1996-97. Brunson has pulled that off three times alongside once each alongside Alec Burks and Allan Houston. Not to dive too deep into statistical serendipity, but Brunson is just the third player in NBA playoff history to have multiple double-doubles featuring at least 35 points and 10 assists with one or no turnovers, keeping elite company with LeBron James and Chris Paul.

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