NEW YORK CITY — Below the brilliant lights of Madison Sq. Backyard, and with nothing at stake however an unwavering aggressive spirit, the Celtics received their ninth straight highway recreation, a 119-117 additional time thriller over the New York Knicks.
The Celtics rolled out their common beginning lineup regardless of six gamers being listed on the damage report and noticed everybody swimsuit up besides Al Horford, who was dominated out with a knee sprain the day prior.
Jayson Tatum (32 factors, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) and Kristaps Porzingis (34 factors on 8-13 from three) each hit clutch threes down the stretch to safe the victory, Tatum’s coming on the finish of regulation and Porzingis’s on the finish of additional time.
And, based mostly on how they battled down the stretch, you’d by no means guess that the standings have been solidified and the Celtics have been locked into No. 2 within the East no matter Tuesday’s end result.
“We nonetheless acquired some issues we will work on, and going on the market competing on a stage like this, what else would you slightly do?” Derrick White mentioned. “We’re on the market and we’re within the recreation — may as properly go and attempt to get a win.”
Right here’s what stood out from on the bottom in Madison Sq. Backyard.
Jayson Tatum continues to determine himself as one of many NBA’s all-time clutch gamers
Jayson Tatum is traditionally clutch — at the least, that’s what the numbers say.
Since shot monitoring started in 1997, 65 NBA gamers have taken at the least 50 photographs to tie or take the lead within the final 24 seconds of the fourth quarter or additional time. Tatum has the third-best discipline objective proportion in such a state of affairs, taking pictures 36.8% on 57 makes an attempt.
Towards the Knicks, Tatum added one other large crunch-time shot to his resume, hitting a pull-up three over OG Anunoby with 2.9 seconds left in regulation to tie the sport.
The three-pointer got here a possession after Tatum was fouled on a 3 by Karl Anthony-Cities and hit two of three free throws.
He bounced again shortly from the miss.
“Subsequent play,” Tatum mentioned of his mindset. “Shit occurs. I needed to make all three however missed it; they got here and made a shot. I used to be simply making an attempt to make up for it, make a play. And, I did.”
Finally, the Celtics’ main scorer scored 12 of the crew’s remaining 16 factors of regulation.
Kristaps Porzingis catches hearth from (actually) deep
Kristaps Porzingis nailed 8 of 13 three-point makes an attempt within the win, tying his career-high.
However he couldn’t have seen the three-point onslaught coming.
“This morning in shootaround and pregame, my shot was method off, however that’s the way it works out plenty of occasions,” Porzingis mentioned. “As soon as I noticed the ball getting in, I simply let it fly with out pondering, and it was an excellent night time.”
The most important three of the night time got here with the rating tied with 41 seconds to play in regulation, all the way in which from the brand. Porzingis laughed as he recalled his determination to shoot such a deep three with 7 seconds remaining on the shot clock.
“The ball rolled to me, and I mentioned that is future,” Porzingis mentioned with a smile,
This season, Porzingis is taking pictures a career-best 41.6% from three regardless of taking pictures the deepest threes of his profession and having one of many longest three-point shoot distance averages within the league.
Porzingis mentioned earlier in his profession, he explored transferring in his three-point shot a little bit bit nearer, however he discovered that it didn’t make him extra environment friendly.
“I’ve tried to see if my effectivity goes up once I get nearer to the three-point line, however it actually doesn’t,” Porzingis mentioned. “I’m simply snug taking pictures a little bit bit out, and it helps our offense, stretching the protection out extra. So if my effectivity doesn’t change, I’ll take these deeper ones, and perhaps it’s a consolation factor — understanding the defender received’t be capable of get there for a good contest. I take my time and let it fly.”
His teammates proceed to be in awe of how he might help them on the ground.
“KP is unbelievable,” Derrick White mentioned. “He missed a pair early after which simply stored taking pictures from additional and additional away.”
Nobody cares in regards to the Celtics’ season sweep of the Knicks
With the additional time win, the Celtics have received all 4 of their video games towards the Knicks, outscoring New York by 65 factors within the season sweep and taking pictures 44% from three.
However, nobody on the Celtics is taking a lot away from the common season outcomes.
“It means nothing,” Joe Mazzulla mentioned. “If something, it’s extra harmful for us, pondering one, that we’re going to get to the second spherical — we might not get there. It’s important to give up to that.”
“There’s a lot that should occur earlier than that. If you happen to don’t deal with what you’ve achieved towards someone else, then that might truly be extra detrimental to you psychologically.”
Derrick White sounded identical to his head coach when requested in regards to the crew’s dominance over New York this season.
“It means completely nothing,” he mentioned.
Jaylen Brown sits your complete fourth quarter and additional time
Jaylen Brown struggled within the win as he continues to battle a knee damage, ending with 6 factors on 2-8 taking pictures, 1 help, 3 turnovers, and 5 rebounds.
Brown, who has been on a minutes restriction that’s stored him under half-hour an evening since March fifteenth, performed simply 21 minutes, sitting out your complete fourth quarter and additional time.
Mazzulla didn’t go into a lot element when requested about his determination to not play Brown within the remaining 17 minutes of the sport, stating: “We simply acquired what we wanted to get out of him as he continues to push himself and check himself. We nonetheless have video games left, and so we simply acquired what we wanted to get, what we wanted to see.”
Porzingis, in the meantime, recommended that there won’t be worth in Brown pushing via the ache through the house stretch of the common season.
“He’s a tricky dude,” he mentioned. “He all the time preaches his warrior mindset. He lives by it. However to what extent we want that proper now? Possibly he must maintain it and ensure he’s going to be prepared for a very powerful second.”
On the sidelines, Brown remained engaged the remainder of the way in which, however by no means checked again into the sport. He’s missed 8 video games because the All-Star break coping with the knee damage, which the crew has formally communicated as a “bone bruise with posterior impingement in his proper knee” which he has principally continued to play via.
Doesn’t appear like Jaylen Brown will play within the fourth — he’s performed 21 minutes tonight
He’s in good spirits & clapping up the huddle with 3 minutes to play pic.twitter.com/4AqeI2GjrK
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) April 9, 2025
The Celtics are one win away from the NBA all-time highway report
With the win, the Celtics have a league-best 33-7 report on the highway. A victory on Wednesday in Orlando would tie them with the 2015-16 Warriors for the very best all-time highway report.
However, Mazzulla mentioned after the win towards the Knicks that he wasn’t even conscious of the accolade. And, at shootaround Tuesday morning, Payton Pritchard equally rejected the notion that the report was one thing the Celtics have been going for.
“You’ll be able to have that and never win the championship, and no one remembers,” Pritchard mentioned.
Nonetheless, as winners of 17 of their final 18 video games outdoors of TD Backyard, it’s simple that the Celtics have merely been particular on the highway. They at present have the second-best highway scoring differential in NBA historical past, outscoring opponents by 10.15 factors per recreation. Solely the 1972 Lakers, who outscored opponents by 11.32 factors en path to an NBA championship, completed the season with a greater highway differential.
“I believe simply because the season went on, it was simply an identification that the blokes have developed,” Mazzulla mentioned. “Now we have to have the ability to win large video games and shut video games and hard video games regardless, however that’s simply sort of a small piece of an identification that this specific crew has taken on.”
