Boston (USA) Nov 5 (EFE) .- Jaylen Brown’s Boston Celtics, who scored 30 points, and Jayson Tatum, who scored 26, beat the Knicks in New York on Saturday night 133-118, in a match won by the guests at hand.
The Celtics have won 6 games and lost 3 while the Knicks have won 4 and lost 5 times.
Brown got 30 points (6 triples), 5 rebounds and 3 assists; Tatum had 26 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, one steal and had 2 blocks; and Marcus Smart scored a double double of 13 points, 2 rebounds and 11 assists.
Three other Celtics players scored more than 10 points: Sam Hauser (17), Malcolm Brogdon (14) and Grant Williams (12).
Three of the Knicks players had more than 20 points: Julius Randle had 29 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists; RJ Barrett scored 27 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal; and Jalen Brunson scored a double double of 22 points, 3 rebounds and 10 assists.
For the locals, Derrick Rose argued with 10 points and Isaiah Hartenstein with a double double of 10 points and 14 rebounds.
Injuries prevented the Celtics from taking on Al Horford, Danilo Gallinari and Robert Williams III, JD Davison and Mfiondu Kabengele. The Knicks had Trevor Keels, Quentin Grimes, Mitchell Robinson and Feron Hunt inactive.
THE CELTICS BEGIN TO DOMINATE
Brown, Tatum (2), Smart and White made an explosive debut Saturday night at Madison Square Garden with triple power bombs that brought the score to 5-15 in three minutes.
Randle’s triple equalized 15-all two minutes later and Celtics interim manager Joe Mazzulla called his objections in the first timeout of the match.
The second part of the first quarter continued to be played at a frenetic pace with numerous draws and leadership changes to reach the second quarter with the light signal of 29-32.
The Celtics used nitroglycerin again in the opening of the second segment and Hauser, with a three-point shot assisted by Tatum, scored the distance (29-41).
Knicks manager Tom Thibodeau, known for not being a fan of gearboxes, was puzzled when the Celtics played like a well-oiled machine and Brown and Hauser’s triples held Boston’s lead (39-53). He called time out.
Accurate defensive plays and baskets by Barrett, Brunson and Randle prevented the Celtics from escaping the scoreboard and achieved a comeback (58-59) to which Brown responded with two triples, to which Barrett responded with two triples and a teammate ( 66-65). After a tackle by White, the first half ends 66-67.
The third quarter continued with frantic changes of leadership on the scoreboard as Tatum took control of the game and with a block, a triple and an assist from Brown, he once again gave the visitors an advantage (74-80).
Malcolm Brogdon, honored today for receiving the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Respect for Work with his foundation facilitating access to clean water in disadvantaged communities, triple and two, defended the Celtics advantage (80-87 ).
THE KNIC STAND UP BUT YOU CAN’T
Barrett, who reached his 24 points and a triple from Rose, put the Knicks face to face with the Celtics (88-89).
Brown, with 26 points in play so far, and another triple from Brogdon, left the score at 96-101 at the end of the third quarter.
The triples of Smart and Noah Vonieh, both served by Tatum, increase the differential for guests (105-114) in the middle of the last segment.
Randle, who reached 27, and a powerful kill from the German Hartenstein, prevented the Celtics too much from escaping in the last minutes of the match (114-119).
A contrast of fantasy by Tatum and another one arrived by a stroke of luck from Brown has definitively decided the match for the Celtics just under two minutes from the end (116-128) and which, after a triple by Williams, ended 118- 133.
Iñaki Estívaliz
(c) EFE Agency
