The Boston Celtics (62-17) completed a season sweep of the New York Knicks (46-33) with a dramatic 119-117 overtime victory on Tuesday, April 8, at Madison Square Garden, thanks to clutch 3-pointers from Kristaps Porzingis and Jayson Tatum.
Porzingis knocked down a deep 30-foot tiebreaking triple with 40 seconds left in overtime, capping off a 34-point performance that matched his season high. Tatum, who finished with 32 points, forced the extra period by drilling a 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds left in regulation after the Knicks opted not to foul with a three-point lead.
The win extended Boston’s road winning streak to nine games and improved their away record to 33-7. It also locked the Celtics into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, as Cleveland’s win over Chicago earlier in the night finalized the top standings.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 34 points and 14 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson added 27 points and nine assists in his second game back from a sprained ankle that sidelined him for 15 games. Despite a much closer effort than their previous three losses to Boston — by 23, 27, and 13 points — the Knicks still came up short in overtime.
The Knicks had taken a 107-104 lead on a Josh Hart bucket with 11 seconds left in regulation but didn’t foul on the ensuing possession. That decision backfired as Tatum tied it with a 3, sending the game to OT.
The Celtics have now gone 20-4 since the All-Star break and continue to look like one of the NBA’s most dangerous road teams heading into the postseason.
Up next, the Knicks visit the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, while the Celtics head to Orlando to face the Magic on Wednesday.
