Knicks Finish Off Celtics

Knicks in six.

The New York Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in a quarter of a century on Friday night, cruising to a 119-81 blowout win over the reigning defending champions Boston Celtics in Game 6.

Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby led the way with 23 points each, in a game where six Knicks players reached double figures to lift the team to a 38-point victory, the largest in franchise postseason history, according to the Associated Press.

The W also represented the Knicks’ first playoff series victory at home, in Madison Square Garden, since the 1999 Eastern Conference finals, but leading man Brunson had another piece of personal history on his mind.

“We haven’t been here since my dad played or was on the team – he’s not gonna like that!” he laughed in his on-court interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salters. “It means a lot for this organization and this city.”

That much was obvious to see as fans, including the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Bad Bunny, Spike Lee, Ben Stiller and Lenny Kravitz, celebrating extatically inside the world’s most famous arena. On the packed streets outside, some fans climbed onto a subway entrance canopy while others tossed plastic bollards into the air outside Penn Station.

“Josh (Hart) showed me a video, walking here, guys climbing up light poles,” laughed Mikal Bridges in a post-game press conference. “It’s crazy, man. Great for them, happy for them. Obviously, I’m new here, but I just know how much New York loves their sports, and especially the Knicks.”

“They enjoy it for us right now but obviously we got way more to go.”

After the Knicks came back from 20-point deficits in each of the first two games on the road in Boston, a series which had been defined by spirit and fight ended with New York in cruise control.

Leading 26-20 after the first twelve minutes, the Knicks took control in the second quarter with a 13-3 run, their dominance symbolized by Deuce McBride’s chasedown block to deny Derrick White an easy bucket, a moment which had Madison Square Garden buzzing and on its feet, and which was followed immediately by Hart claiming a second straight basket while being fouled by Jrue Holiday.

By halftime the home team was running away with it, 64-37 and never looked back. Balancing out Brunson and Anunoby’s 23 points were Bridges’ 22 and Karl-Anthony Towns’ 21. Towns also pulled down 12 rebounds.

Hart became the first Knick since Walt Frazier in 1972 to record a triple-double in the postseason with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, and McBride was the sixth player to reach double figures for New York. Jaylen Brown led the scoring for the Celtics with 20. Boston was without Jayson Tatum after he ruptured his Achilles tendon in Game 4.

“Losing to the Knicks feels like death,” said Brown after the game.

The Knicks will face their arch Indiana Pacers in the conference finals, the same team they played last time they made it this far in 2000. The Pacers are also the team responsible for New York’s playoff exit in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last year.

“It’s a great win. We advance. You look at that, but you also understand you have to get ready for the next series,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “The Pacers are a terrific team and we’re going to have to be ready.”

Game 1 is on Wednesday night in New York.