The New York Knicks, the most valuable franchise in the NBA, won a tense 91-90 game against the Boston Celtics on Monday evening. This victory advances their playoff series advantage to 2-0! While Julius Randle came through with all-around contributions, Jalen Brunson became the hero, scoring decisive points in the game’s final seconds. His late-game performance highlighted his ability to step up when it mattered most, even while coming off the bench for just the fifth time in his NBA career.
In such a close game, Brunson, who ended the game with 17 points, demonstrated his ability to perform as a top scorer when it counts. With only 12.7 seconds remaining on the clock, he intentionally drew a foul. With all eyes on him, he coolly drained the pair of free throws, giving New York a key one-point advantage. Then he drilled an 18-foot jumper that gave the Knicks the lead. He capped it with a go-ahead layup, putting them up 89-86 and proving himself to be a major factor in the game’s final minutes.
Despite his few minutes—just 14 and four boards total—Brunson’s presence was inescapable. His knack for sniffing out lanes to score on made him invaluable to his team’s championship run.
The Celtics stole the show behind great efforts from Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. Both players erupted for 20 points apiece, with each player going off. Still, Boston had a hard time finding their rhythm, especially from 3-point range where they shot just 25 percent (10-40) on the night. Star player Jayson Tatum had a tough evening, with only 13 points on 5-19 from the field. Though he tried to will his team to victory in the closing minutes, he failed to knock down a handful of critical looks.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla took responsibility, recognizing all the chances they let slip through their fingers and had cost them the game.
“Through the end of the third and fourth quarter, I thought we generated some good looks, then I thought we had some live ball turnovers, and they took advantage of it. They made the necessary plays to win,” – Joe Mazzulla.
The game was filled with pressure-packed, close competition and clutch performances from both sides. Still, Tatum was able to force the issue in transition at times, like this drive and dunk as he blows by Knicks big Mitchell Robinson. As good as they fought, the Celtics didn’t have a consistent enough offensive firepower to win the game.
The Knicks took advantage of their tenacious defense and crisp offense when it mattered the most. Their strong execution in the interior made the Celtics 10-for-40 shooting from deep all the more apparent.
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