The New York Knicks secured a crucial 121-113 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden on Monday, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. This win was fueled by Jalen Brunson`s impressive 39 points and Mikal Bridges` strong fourth-quarter play, representing the Knicks` best offensive performance of the series so far. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum had a game-high 42 points, shooting 16-for-28, but suffered a non-contact injury late in the game with roughly three minutes remaining.
New York mounted a significant comeback after trailing by 14 points early in the second half, going on a decisive 32-13 run. The team also demonstrated strong effort on the boards, recovering 38% of their missed shots.
Reflecting on the game, Boston`s Jaylen Brown admitted their defensive performance was poor. “It was terrible defensively tonight, to be frank,” Brown stated. “No resistance. Offense was great, offense was fine. No resistance on defense.”
A noticeable shift occurred in Boston`s 3-point shooting, dropping from 12-for-24 in the first half to a mere 6-for-24 in the second.
The Knicks now head to Boston with an opportunity to clinch the series and reach the conference finals for the first time since the year 2000, with Game 5 scheduled for Wednesday.
Here are the main takeaways from Game 4:
Brunson and Bridges Take Over
Entering Game 4, Brunson`s scoring efficiency was a point of discussion, despite averaging 24.3 points. However, he quickly found his rhythm on Monday, delivering an explosive third quarter with 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting, followed by another 8 in the fourth. This performance brings his total fourth-quarter points in these playoffs to 102 over 10 games, putting him alongside Kobe Bryant as the only players to achieve this milestone so early in a playoff run. Brunson showcased his versatile scoring repertoire, hitting tough jumpers, step-back threes, and finishing in traffic, including a notable offensive rebound and layup over the towering Kristaps Porzingis. His teammate Mikal Bridges highlighted Brunson`s composure, saying he “is going to stay locked in and just get us there” when things get tough.
Mikal Bridges complemented Brunson`s effort, particularly in the final period. After scoring 13 points through three quarters, Bridges opened the fourth quarter strongly with consecutive pull-up jumpers. He continued to hit crucial shots, including a go-ahead mid-range jumper over Porzingis. Bridges made his first five shots of the fourth, all off the dribble, including a difficult jumper late in the shot clock that seemed destined to go in. Coach Tom Thibodeau praised Bridges` resilience, noting that he “had some good looks [early in the game]. 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 he hit.” Brunson, Bridges` former college teammate, attributed his shotmaking to his exceptional work ethic, describing him as “psychotic” with his dedication, and expressed full trust in him.
Tatum Injury Has Wide-Reaching Impact
A major concern emerged late in the fourth quarter when Jayson Tatum suffered a non-contact injury. What initially appeared to Brunson as a simple ankle turn quickly became more serious as Tatum remained on the ground for several minutes. He ultimately needed assistance off the court and left the game in a wheelchair. Brunson sent his well wishes, stating, “You just never want to see something like that, ever.” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed it was a lower-body injury and that Tatum would undergo an MRI on Tuesday. Mazzulla noted Tatum`s usual resilience, making it “tough to watch a guy like him get carried off like that.”
If the injury proves to be serious, it could significantly impact the defending champions` aspirations this season and potentially sideline their key player for part of next season. Jaylen Brown expressed the team`s somber mood, saying, “It`s tough,” and that everyone was “at a loss for words” regarding the loss and Tatum`s injury, adding, “I`ve got no words right now” when asked about the potential long-term implications for the franchise.
Prior to his injury, Tatum was having his best game of the playoffs, finishing with 42 points. His performance included hitting seven 3-pointers, some from deep range and under duress. He also contributed significantly with 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 4 steals across 40 minutes. Despite taking only three free throws and a couple of questionable shots, he was undeniably the top player on the court for the majority of the game.
While Boston managed a win without Tatum in their first-round series against Orlando, facing the Knicks in a crucial Game 5 with their season hanging in the balance presents a different challenge. The team must find ways to compensate for the absence of their primary playmaker and the player tasked with defending Karl-Anthony Towns throughout the series. Celtics big man Al Horford emphasized the need for unity, stating, “As a group, we just have to rally. Rally together. Because obviously we`ve lost our leader and the guy that gets us going. We have to come together as a group.”
Jaylen Brown Must Be Better
The Celtics` defensive struggles, particularly in the second half, were acknowledged by Mazzulla, Brown, and Horford. Mazzulla also linked the Knicks` effective pace to Boston`s poor offensive execution. Therefore, Jaylen Brown`s performance in Game 5 is crucial. If he tries to carry too much offensive load in Tatum`s absence, he risks turnovers and missed opportunities, like the three missed layups on Monday that essentially became live-ball turnovers. He also took some ill-advised off-the-dribble three-pointers. Brown finished Game 4 with 20 points on 7-for-16 shooting, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists, but foul trouble restricted him to 33 minutes, and his decision-making was suboptimal. For the Celtics to extend their season in Game 5, they will require Jaylen Brown playing at his absolute best.
Jasper Hawthorne