The New York Knicks stormed into the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years after dismantling the Boston Celtics, 119-81, in Game 6 of their second-round playoff series Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby led the charge with 23 points apiece, while Mikal Bridges chipped in 22 and Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and 12 rebounds. The third-seeded Knicks never looked back, building a lead that ballooned to 41 points — the largest playoff winning margin in franchise history.
Josh Hart also made history, notching a triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists — the first for a Knick in the playoffs since Walt Frazier in 1972.
The Knicks will face the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals, with Game 1 set for Wednesday in New York.
Short-handed Boston, playing without star forward Jayson Tatum (torn Achilles in Game 4), leaned on Jaylen Brown’s 20 points before he fouled out late in the third quarter. Payton Pritchard and Al Horford were the only other Celtics to score in double digits with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
New York shot 46.2% from the field and out-rebounded Boston 55-36, while the Celtics struggled from deep, hitting just 29.3% from beyond the arc.
The Knicks seized control after a tight 16-all start, outscoring the Celtics 48-16 during a stretch that included a commanding 64-37 halftime lead — their largest since 1970.
By the time Anunoby drilled back-to-back threes late in the third, the Garden crowd was in full celebration mode, with the Knicks up by more than 40.