The Celtics entered the night looking to complete a season sweep of the Knicks—and they did so in dramatic fashion. Boston shot 46% from the field (40-of-87) and knocked down 19 three-pointers en route to the narrow victory. More significantly, the win saw the Celtics hit a franchise record 33 road wins in a single season.
Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Kristaps Porzingis turned in one of his most dominant performances of the season, matching Karl-Anthony Towns with a game-high 34 points while logging a season-best 39 minutes. The 7-footer, who was selected fourth overall by the Knicks in the 2015 NBA Draft, looked right at home in his return to the Garden. His many highlight-worthy plays included a logo-range three-point shot that sent the home crowd to a frenzy.
Following the shot, the Celtics took to social media with a clip of the 40-footer on X and a five-word caption:
“KP ARE YOU FOR REAL”
Porzingis’ availability was in question leading up to tipoff after he missed Sunday’s win over Washington due to a non-COVID illness. However, the Latvian big man looked sharp throughout, hitting a career-high eight threes.
Aside from Porzingis, Jayson Tatum also delivered on the big stage, contributing 32 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in the win, while Jrue Holiday and Derrick White combined for 30 points. On the other end, Jalen Brunson (27 points) and Towns kept the Knicks within striking distance, but New York ultimately fell short in over time—continuing their struggles against elite opponents.
With the second seed locked up and eyes firmly set on defending their title, Boston will look to close the regular season on a high note. They’re back in action Wednesday night for the second game of a back-to-back against the playoff-hungry Orlando Magic.
