The New York Knicks overpowered the defending champion Boston Celtics 119-81 in Game 6 at Madison Square Garden on Friday, securing their first trip to the Eastern Conference finals since 2000.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each tallied 23 points as the third-seeded Knicks closed the series 4-2 with their most lopsided postseason win in franchise history.
New York built a 27-point halftime lead and never looked back, outscoring Boston 64-37 through two quarters and pushing the gap to as many as 41 in the third.
The Knicks now turn their attention to the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers, who they will host for Game 1 on Wednesday in a rematch of the 2000 conference finals.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Mikal Bridges scored 22 on 9-of-15 shooting, helping New York shoot 46.2% from the field and 90.5% from the line.
Josh Hart recorded a triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, while also drawing cheers from fans by showing teammate Mikal Bridges a video of a fan climbing a light pole postgame.
Boston’s hopes were severely limited without Jayson Tatum, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Game 4, and Friday’s result confirmed their diminished capacity to compete.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 20 points but committed seven turnovers as New York’s defense overwhelmed Boston from the opening tip.
Derrick White shot just 3-of-11, and Jrue Holiday was held to four points on 1-of-8 shooting as head coach Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters midway through the third quarter.
Deuce McBride sparked the Garden crowd with a chasedown block on White, leading to a three-point play by Hart during a 13-3 second-quarter surge that broke the game open.
New York held the Celtics to 36% shooting and won the rebounding battle 55-36, dominating physically and emotionally in front of a raucous crowd that included Ben Stiller and Lenny Kravitz along celebrity row.
The 38-point margin set a new Knicks postseason record and marked the Celtics’ worst playoff loss since 2017.
While the Knicks remained composed postgame, the atmosphere in and around the Garden was one of celebration, as fans spilled into the streets chanting and dancing well past midnight.
The Knicks are now four wins from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.
