Perhaps the Celtics’ season needed a show of strength, which arrives promptly at Madison Square Garden, where the reigning NBA champions dominate from start to finish, only suffering one comeback attempt in the 3rd quarter, which is immediately extinguished. Boston sends 6 players into double figures and once again finds a Payton Pritchard who is nothing short of decisive with his 25 points and 6/8 from long range coming off the bench. Jalen Brunson (36 points and 10/18 from the field) is really the only one to save himself for the Knicks, who suffer a heavy defeat also from a mental point of view and for the balance at the top of the Eastern Conference.
There is a moment, in the challenge between the Knicks and the Celtics, in which the home team tries to get back into the game by taking advantage of a 3rd quarter in which Boston lowers its guard slightly. However, Jayson Tatum immediately dampened New York’s hopes, scoring 19 of his 40 total points in the third quarter, sealing a performance to which he added 6 rebounds and 4 assists.