New York (AFP) – The New York Knicks thrashed the Boston Celtics 119-81 to send the defending champions crashing out of the NBA playoffs on Friday. The Knicks booked their first Eastern Conference finals appearance in 25 years with a rampant display to complete a 4-2 series victory. Six Knicks players finished in double figures, with Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby leading the way with 23 points apiece. Mikal Bridges drained four three-pointers on his way to 22 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 21. Josh Hart finished with a triple-double of 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
The blowout win sets up a showdown against the Knicks’ arch-rivals the Indiana Pacers next week for a place in the NBA Finals. New York will head into that best-of-seven series brimming with confidence after an electrifying performance that swept aside a Boston team who had dominated the Knicks in a game five win on Wednesday. A slew of celebrities such as Timothee Chalamet, Lenny Kravitz, Ben Stiller, and Spike Lee were courtside at Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks romp to victory.
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Boston, who were dealt a crushing blow in game four with a season-ending injury to star Jayson Tatum, had given their fans hope of a miraculous comeback after their game five win. But those hopes were snuffed out in ruthless fashion as the Knicks edged into an early 26-20 first quarter lead before burying Boston in an avalanche of second quarter scoring. The Knicks outscored the Celtics 38-17 in the second quarter to take a 64-37 lead at halftime, a 27-point cushion that all but extinguished Boston’s challenge.
New York kept the points flowing in the third quarter, stretching their lead to as many as 41 points at one stage as they surged to victory. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics scoring with 20 points, with Al Horford adding 10 points and Payton Pritchard finishing with 11. Derrick White, who scored 34 points in Boston’s game five win on Wednesday, was kept quiet with just eight points.
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