NEW YORK — The Celtics dominated the vast majority of their game against their rivals, dispatching the Knicks 131-104 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. Even when the game got dicey for a moment, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White stepped up to shut the door on the Knicks. The C’s improved to 37-16 on the season while the Knicks dropped to 34-18.
It was all Celtics from tipoff, suffocating the Knicks defensively while they knocked down their 3s. The game looked like a similar scene from opening night, when the C’s set an NBA record, raining 3s on the Knicks. New York stayed within a manageable deficit by halftime, down by 13 points. Kristaps Porzingis was a late scratch Saturday due to an illness, joining Jrue Holiday as out.
The Knicks cut what was an 18-point C’s lead all the way down to three at the start of the third quarter. But that’s when Tatum and White took over (more on them later). The Knicks had no comeback flames left in them as they dropped to 0-2 against the C’s on the season.
Tatum was at his best Saturday with 40 points and six rebounds while White added 17 points. Payton Pritchard also had 25 points off the bench. Jalen Brunson paced the Knicks with 36 points and five assists. Josh Hart added another 17 points and eight assists.
The Celtics face the Heat next at 7:30 p.m. Monday in Miami. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s win over New York:
Taking over: The Celtics looked like they might be in trouble. Their 18-point lead was quickly down to three midway through the third quarter as the Knicks kept the pressure up. But that’s when Tatum and White took over. The C’s ripped off a 19-3 run to never look back in Saturday’s game. By the time the dust settled, Tatum had scored 19 points in the third while White had 14. They combined to score 33 out of the Celtics’ 35 points in the frame as the Knicks never threatened a comeback afterwards.
Hitting from deep: The Celtics didn’t match an NBA record with 29 made 3-pointers like they did opening night, but they still filled it up from deep. The C’s shot 19-for-39 (48.7%) on 3s as the Garden crowd was silenced with each make. There were some tough makes in there, too, as Tatum blew kisses to the nationally-televised audience throughout the night. Tatum finished 7-for-14 from 3 while Pritchard was 6-for-8. By the end of the game, Knicks fans left early while the C’s supporters in attendance cheered their approval.
Lineup looks: Even though the C’s didn’t have Porzingis, they still leaned on their deep roster. Luke Kornet got the start alongside Al Horford as Kornet played a solid game. The C’s rolled with the double big look for the majority of Saturday’s game, getting solid production all night. Kornet finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds (five offensive) while Neemias Queta had 11 points and eight rebounds. Their strength comes from their depth — the bigs showed that Saturday.
Road warriors: While the Celtics have struggled at home, that’s been the opposite case sleeping in hotel beds. With Saturday’s win, they improved their NBA-best mark to 21-6 on the road. While they were dominant at home last season, their performance away from home has been noteworthy this year.
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