Comeback kings: Knicks knocking on East finals door
NEW YORK, United States – In an era of analytics-driven basketball, the New York Knicks are proving to be the antithesis of the defending champion Boston Celtics.
The Knicks took a commanding 3-1 series lead with another come-from-behind win, 121-113, on Monday (Tuesday Manila time), this time in front of their delirious fans at the Madison Square Garden.
New York’s defense held Boston to 25% shooting from the 3-point line in the second half after the Celtics hit 50% in the first half, which led to a 62-51 halftime lead.
On offense, the Knicks torched the Celtics with an array of midrange shots, floaters and craftiness around the rim.
New York shot 16-of-31 from midrange and 22-of-29 around the rim to overcome Boston’s 18 3-pointers and 19-9 free throw advantage.
Derrick White was 4-of-4 from the 3-point line to start the game as the Celtics opened up a 39-28 lead after the first quarter. They sat on a 62-51 halftime cushion on the strength of their 12-of-24 3-point shooting.
Another White 3-pointer with 9:06 left in the third quarter extended the Celtics’ lead to 72-58, the largest in the game. But just as when they threatened to pull away, Jalen Brunson once again led the Knicks’ magical comeback with 18 of his 39 points in the third quarter.
Jalen Brunson just tied the game. pic.twitter.com/NJrdcE1qIu
— alder almo (@alderalmo) May 13, 2025
New York outscored Boston 37-23 in the pivotal third quarter with the Knicks’ starters playing the entire time.
Brunson then took turns with Mikal Bridges in delivering the dagger in the fourth quarter to finish off the deflated Celtics.
It’s Captain Clutch Time! pic.twitter.com/t6i8rgPOI9
— alder almo (@alderalmo) May 13, 2025
“It’s just the way he's wired,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said of Brunson, who had another clutch performance. “A lot of poise under pressure. His confidence, I think, is always super high, just because of the way he prepares and the way he works. So, no moment is too big for him.
“You're not going to speed him up. He's not relying on athleticism, although he's more athletic than people realize, and then just his fundamentals, his footwork, to be able to get their spots that he wants. He's great at creating separation, and he's always got a great balance on a shot.”
Brunson dominated Boston’s point guard Jrue Holiday, who only scored four points in 35 minutes. The Knicks captain added 12 assists and five rebounds. He joined Walt “Clyde” Frazier as the only players in Knicks playoff history to have at least 35 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in a single game.
Meanwhile, Bridges bounced back from a poor first half with 10 of his 23 points in the decisive fourth quarter.
“Just his demeanor. That's what I love about him,” Thibodeau said of Bridges. “He's played hard in the game. [In the first half], I thought he had some good looks. They didn't go in, but that didn't sway him at all. And then he got going big time in the fourth quarter. Those were huge shots.”
All of the five Bridges baskets in the fourth quarter came from midrange — the very shot that analytics have been trying to eliminate in today’s NBA game.
The analytically driven Celtics offense just took 12 midrange shots. They made only four of them.
The Celtics have attempted a staggering 188 3-point shots in the first four games of the series. And they only made 63 for a paltry 33.5% clip. Save for the Celtics’ 20-of-40 shooting in their dominant Game 3 win, the Knicks mostly kept them in check.
What analytics cannot quantify, though, is the collective grit of the Knicks, who showed no quit even after Boston went off to another hot start.
“Just got to keep fighting and that's sort of the nature of the game,” Thibodeau said. “When you're playing a three-point shooting team like that, there's going to be variances in the game where there's runs and you can't go away. You’ve got to keep fighting.
“They have the ability to make tough shots. I thought [Jayson] Tatum had a monster game going. He's a great shot maker, and I thought a lot of the shots were challenged. Well, he has the ability to make and we have to have the determination to go back to do it over and over again and stick together.”
Tatum had his highest scoring game of the series with 42 points before he suffered a non-contact injury late in the game.
The Celtics star clutched his right ankle as he crumpled to the floor, wincing in pain. It looked serious as he needed the help of two Celtics staffers to get him off the court.
Jayson Tatum clutching his right ankle. He exits the game with 42 pts. Prayers up!???????? pic.twitter.com/hyZAB0ew2H
— alder almo (@alderalmo) May 13, 2025
He was later seen crying while getting carted off the players’ tunnel in a wheelchair.
“I never want to see a player get hurt,” Thibodeau said of Tatum. “He's been a great player and great guy, too. So, I hope it's not a serious injury.”
Brunson also opened his postgame press conference by offering his thoughts on Tatum.
“Thoughts and prayers with him,” Brunson said. “Praying for the best.”
Jalen Brunson opens his postgame presser with his thoughts on Jayson Tatum sustaining what appeared to be a serious injury. pic.twitter.com/nTCRE5z19w
— alder almo (@alderalmo) May 13, 2025
Celtics coach Joe Mazulla later said Tatum will have an MRI to determine his injury.
With Tatum’s status up in the air, the Knicks have a golden opportunity to eliminate the Celtics in Game 5 in Boston on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1999.
The Knicks are 5-0 on the road in this magical postseason run after they were dismissed as a legitimate contender with their 0-8 record against the No. 2 Celtics and the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the regular season.
Now they are on the cusp of reaching the conference finals while the Celtics and the Cavaliers are both facing elimination, staring at 3-1 series deficits.
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Alder Almo is a former senior sportswriter for Philstar.com and NBA.com Philippines. He is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey, and writes for US-based publication Heavy.com.
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