BOSTON — The Celtics weren’t perfect, but it’s difficult to criticize the final result. The Celtics beat the Knicks for the third time this season, this time in a 118-105 win Sunday at TD Garden. New York played well to cut Boston’s 27-point lead down to just four, but the Celtics shut the door on any comeback attempt. The C’s improved to 41-16 with the win while the Knicks dropped to 37-20.
Just like the first two meetings this season, the Celtics blitzed the Knicks in the opening quarter. The C’s built a 19-point lead after the first quarter, generating good shots while the Knicks slogged through some inefficiency. New York got a small burst from its bench to start the second quarter, but couldn’t sustain momentum.
The Celtics were poised to cruise to the victory after building up a 27-point lead in the third quarter. But the Knicks cut it down to a four-point game early in the fourth quarter, generating some murmurs from the Garden crowd. But the C’s ensured the final result was never in doubt as they quickly got their lead back up to double-digits. The Knicks were gassed from there after making their big run, failing to threaten again.
Jayson Tatum had 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown added 24 points while Derrick White finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Jalen Brunson put up 22 points, including 15 in the third quarter, while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 24 points and 18 rebounds.
The Celtics go on the road to take on the Raptors at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Toronto. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s win over New York:
Surviving the run: The game’s different in the modern NBA as leads quickly disappear in a flash. The Celtics went on an extended stretch where they couldn’t make a bucket while the Knicks caught fire. That resulted in what was a comfortable C’s lead whittled down to single-digits. Brunson’s 15 points in the third quarter paced the Knicks while Towns added 14 himself. But the Celtics withstood the Knicks’ comeback attempt to secure the victory. It got dicey for a bit there, but the Celtics went on a run themselves to close out the game.
Doing it all: Tatum, fresh off a triple-double against the 76ers, showed off that all-around game once again Sunday. He filled up the box score, flirting with another triple-double. He made reads throughout the game, and while he wasn’t crazy efficient at 8-for-20 shooting, he made his impact felt. White also gets credit for his game Sunday, including knocking down some crucial 3s early in the fourth quarter to turn the tide in Boston’s favor. White also finished 7-for-10 from the floor and 5-for-6 on 3s.
Fully healthy: The Celtics have curiously not been at their best when fully healthy, but that wasn’t the case Sunday. The starters got them out to a big lead and played well throughout the matinee. All five starters also scored at least 14 points as it was a balanced scoring effort. The starters combined to score 97 of the Celtics’ 118 points. Sure, it got dangerous for a second there, but the Celtics didn’t let that affect them as it also didn’t show in the final score.
Potential playoff preview: There’s still roughly 1.5 months left in the regular season, but as of now, the Celtics and Knicks have a good chance of meeting in the playoffs. The C’s and Knicks could meet in the East semifinals considering where they’re at in the standings. The Celtics have had no issues playing the Knicks recently, winning seven of their last eight meetings. So all green flags for the C’s, though there are red flags for the Knicks. New York is now a combined 0-5 against the Celtics and first-place Cavaliers this season with more blowouts than single-digit losses. The C’s are also plus-63 in their three wins over the Knicks this season.
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