Sixth consecutive victory (94-109) for some New York Knicks on a streak that killed the then NBA leader. The team led by Thibodeau suffocated the Boston Celtics, and especially a Jayson Tatum who ended up sent off in the final stretch after receiving a second technique.
Julius Randle and Immanuel Quickley led their offense with 23 points each to rise to the fifth 5th place in the Eastern Conference (37-25), and incidentally overtake their neighbors the Nets, with two straight losses after the flight of their stars Durant and Irving.
“Right now we are in a very good place, but we still have a lot to improve,” Jalen Brunson admitted to the outlet. ESPN.
The Knicks took control of the game in the second quarter with a double-digit lead that they never relinquished. For their part, the Celtics were unable to hit an outside shot, missing 20 of their first 22 attempts from 3-point range.
His star Jayson Tatum had particular problems, missing his first six 3-pointers to finish with 6/18 shooting from the field and just 1/9 from long range. In addition, it was the first time in his NBA career that he was expelled from a game.
“All the great players in the NBA have been ejected at some point in their career, so I think it’s good for reputation,” Jayson Tatum said.
Other highlights
Knicks: They are only one game away from equaling the record they obtained last year (37-45).
They also contributed double digit scorers Jalen Brunson (17); Josh Hart (12); RJ Barrett (10) and a Mitchell Robinson who sealed his third double-double in a row (10 points and 13 rebounds).
Celtics: The greens could not count on Jaylen Brown, on leave for personal reasons. Their top scorer was Malcolm Brogdon with 22 points from the second unit.
Until last night they had the best record in the league, but after losing to the Knicks they give up the lead to Antetokounmpo’s Bucks with 14 consecutive victories.
(Cover photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
