The New York Knicks surged past the defending champions in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, defeating the Boston Celtics 121-113 to seize a 3-1 series lead. It's the franchise's first trip within reach of the conference finals in 25 years, and the first home team to win in this series.
All-Star guard Jalen Brunson delivered a masterclass with 39 points and 12 assists, breaking open the contest in the fourth quarter. Brunson said, "I think it was a sense of urgency, desperation, just knowing that we have a great opportunity."
Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each added 23 points, while OG Anunoby bounced back with 20 after two quiet games. Their balanced attack kept the Celtics on their heels all night.
The defending champs face a daunting task: only 13 teams in NBA history have overturned a 3-1 deficit, and the Celtics may have to do it without Jayson Tatum. The star forward, who led Boston with 42 points, their playoff high, was carried off the court late in the game after suffering a right leg injury.
Celtics veteran Al Horford rallied his teammates, saying, "As a group, we just have to rally together because obviously we've lost our leader, the guy that gets us going."
Now, all eyes turn to Game 5 on Wednesday in Boston. The Knicks need one more win to punch their ticket to the conference finals, while the Celtics must stave off elimination and engineer a historic comeback. If they do force a Game 6, the series will return to Madison Square Garden on Friday for a winner-take-all showdown.
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Knicks take 3-1 lead over the Celtics with 121-113 win in Game 4
cgtn.com
