The New York Knicks took a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Boston Celtics after a 121-113 win in Game 4 last night. It had everything the first two games had. From momentum swings back and forth to big-time players making big-time plays in key spots. However, how did we get to that point? How did the Knicks complete another double-digit second half comeback?
The Knick’s Resiliency
The Knicks have been the best team facing a double-digit deficit this postseason. They have trailed by ten or more in four of their seven wins these playoffs. Despite being up three games to one in the series, in all of their wins, the Knicks have trailed the Celtics by at least 14 points in the second half. That is a legendary achievement.
To dive further into Game 4, Jalen Brunson was dominant, especially in the second half. Brunson recorded 26 points and 7 assists out of his 39 points and 12 assists in the second half. When his team needed it most, the Clutch Player of the Year award winner stepped up and hit it out of the park. Mikal Bridges was just as clutch. Bridges scored 10 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, keeping it close for the Knicks to bring it home.
The Knicks’ “Big Four,” Brunson, Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns, all scored 20 or more points, combining for 105 of the team’s 121 points. Despite being down 14 points at the 9:06 mark in the third quarter, New York won the quarter 37-23. The Knicks’ two biggest runs were a 19-6 run from the 5:17 mark in the third quarter to the 11:48 mark of the fourth.
After Jayson Tatum hit a lead-taking three with 7:17 to go in the fourth, the Knicks would go on an 18-5 run over the next five minutes. From everything they’ve shown in this series, New York has the talent and players to be serious NBA Finals contenders this season. It would not shock me if this team represents the Eastern Conference in the Finals.
Boston’s Collapse
Usually, when a team is down 3-1, they face a superior team. The Celtics have gone from a team that won 64 and 61 games in the past two seasons and won the NBA Championship last season, to a team that cannot close the deal after being up 20, 20, and 14 in the third quarters of all three of their losses. Despite shooting historically bad from the arc in the first two games, 25/100, Boston would build 20-point leads and continue to swing for the homerun ball. That decision to continue to be who they’ve been all season came back to bite them.
To highlight game three, Tatum was excellent with 42 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks until he had to leave the game with an injury. The basketball world fears that he tore his Achilles. He needed help leaving the court and was seen in a wheelchair in the back after leaving the game. That is a heartbreaker for such a young, talented player who was having his best game since Game 6 against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2022.
With Tatum out for the foreseeable future, Jaylen Brown and the rest of the Celtics must take their games to a higher level. Brown is only averaging 20.5 PPG this series. And if Boston is going to be the 14th team in NBA history to come back from down 3-1, it starts with their other star. I expect Derrick White to pick up his game. He’s averaging just shy of 20 PPG (19.75) for the series.
Final Thoughts & Expectations for the Rest of the Series
I expect the Knicks to close the deal and beat the Celtics in six games. The hostile Boston crowd should be a big component of Game 5 to rally behind their team to propel them to the next game. However, without Tatum, the Celtics are drawing dead in this series and potentially next season as well, depending on Tatum’s recovery time. It will start and end with Brown and how the Celtics start Game 5.
This next game is the biggest in recent memory for the Knicks. With a chance to punch your ticket to your first conference final since 2000, will Brunson and the Knicks finally break through? Will the Tatum-less Celtics extend their season and force Game 6? Game 5 is Wednesday at 7 PM EST on TNT and it will be must see TV as the rest of this series has been!
