In front of a Madison Square Garden crowd jam-packed with celebrities and stars, the New York Knicks secured their first Eastern Conference Finals berth in 25 years after defeating the rival Boston Celtics.
The Knicks returned home knowing that a Game 6 victory would send their northeast foes back to Massachusetts.
With Timothee Chalamet, Tracy Morgan, Ben Stiller, and Bad Bunny watching on, the Knicks ensured that elimination was a surefire thing – with a dominant second quarter the basis of a 119-81 blowout to win the series 4-2.
It’s the largest playoff win in franchise history that puts the Knicks back in the conference finals for the first time since 2000. They’ll play the same team they faced that series, the Indiana Pacers.
Without superstar Jayson Tatum, whose season ended with a torn Achilles suffered in Game 4, the Celtics struggled – shooting 36 percent in the loss.
Meanwhile, the Knicks’ core showed out – with Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby leading the way with 23 points.
OG Anunoby (L) and Jalen Brunson (R) led the Knicks to a victory and the conference finals
Rapper Bad Bunny (L) and actor Timothee Chalamet (R) celebrate the Knicks victory Friday
Actor Ben Stiller watched on as the Knicks eliminated the Boston Celtics in Game 6
Not that it’s a complete surprise. From the moment that Tatum’s season ended, this result was coming.
Sure, the Celtics put up a brave effort in Game 5 in the face of elimination. Derrick White had 34 points, Jaylen Brown dropped a double-double, and the Celtics won by 25 in front of their fans at TD Garden to show they could be resilient without Tatum.
But no one, not even the most jaded Celtics fan, could expect that effort to last long – and certainly not long enough to motivate them to a conference final.
Yet, there was still shock. Shock at how flat the Celtics looked. Shock at how quickly this game became lopsided.
After leading Boston in the game prior, White only put up eight points, one rebound, and two assists while shooting a poor 3-for-11.
Brown led the team with 20 points, but shot 8-of-20 and fouled out of the game in the third quarter.
Aside from Brown, the only other Boston double-digits were Al Horford’s ten points and the eleven points Payton Pritchard had off the bench.
Boston was down by six points at the end of the first quarter, but then got ‘Fetty Wapped’ in the second – getting outscored 17-38.
The depleted Celtics carried no momentum from their 25 point win at home in Game 5
After putting up 34 points in Game 5, Derrick White dropped a paltry eight points Friday
Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns had a 21 point, 12 rebound double-double on the night
Musician Lenny Kravitz (L) and filmmaker and Knicks superfan Spike Lee (R) celebrate
Rapper Ice Spice (L) and New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner (R) watch courtside
So completely overwhelming was the Knicks’ second quarter, that it didn’t matter that Boston was within eight points in the third and three points in the fourth. After the second quarter, the Celtics never looked capable of overcoming the mountain.
And so, the title defense ends. Questions will abound about what comes next for the Celtics. When can Tatum get healthy? What’s the future of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis? How much more will the window stay open? No answers can be found on the floor of MSG.
What would be found is arguably the most complete team effort the Knicks have put forth all offseason.
Every Knicks starter hit double-digits. Anunoby (23 points, nine rebounds) and Brunson (23 points, six rebounds, six assists) led the way, but Karl-Anthony Towns’ double-double (21 points, 12 rebounds) and Mikal Bridges’ 22 point outing were more than enough to put New York over the top.
The bright lights of the Garden didn’t overwhelm. They set the stage for a dominant performance that could set up the Knicks reaching their first NBA Finals in this millennium.
All that lies ahead is an opponent that they haven’t beaten in the playoffs in their last three series meeting: the Pacers.
That includes last year, when the Pacers beat the Knicks in seven games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
