The Knicks outlasted the Celtics 131-129 in Boston on Sunday night behind a massive impact from Immanuel Quickley.
Here are 5 takeaways…
1. For both Boston and New York, the stars came to play in the opening quarter. Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 16 points in the first 12 minutes. For the Knicks, Julius Randle stayed true to his hot starts with 10 points in the first quarter. With Jalen Brunson out of the lineup, RJ Barrett stepped up to fill the production with 14 first-quarter points. In a back-and-forth shootout, Boston took a three-point lead after the first quarter with 6 offensive rebounds to create extra opportunity.
2. Quickley filled Brunson’s spot in the starting lineup on Sunday and made an immediate impact. Off of the opening tip, Quickley knocked down a long three-point basket from beyond the arc for the game’s first points. The guard tallied 11 points in the first half to boost New York’s offensive production.
After a quality nine minutes for the Knicks to open the second quarter, Boston closed the half on an 11-0 run to take a seven-point lead into the break. Derrick White offered a boost to the Boston rotation without Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams, posting 12 points and six rebounds in the opening two quarters.
New York also found success converting Boston’s mistakes into points, outscoring the Celtics 18-14 to start the game in points off turnovers. The two sides remained efficient in the first half, both shooting over 40 percent from the field.
3. With 8:56 remaining in the third quarter, Randle committed an offensive foul against Marcus Smart. While contesting the call after the play, Randle bumped an official and received a technical foul. Later in the quarter, Boston improved from three-point range to stretch the lead to a game-high 14 points.
In need of a spark, New York responded in the middle of the third with a seven-to-nothing run to cut the deficit to five. Quickley capped the run with a steal and a coast-to-coast layup before ending the quarter on an and-one conversion as part of 11 third-quarter points. Randle added an exclamation point with a three-pointer to beat the buzzer and put New York in front by one to end the third quarter.
4. Into the fourth quarter, the contest truly became a game of runs. New York continued its momentum to the tune of a 21-2 run. Later in the quarter, Boston responded with a 13-2 run of its own to tie the game at 102. On the final possession, Jaylen Brown stole the ball from Randle to send the game to overtime.
5. In overtime, both defenses stepped up to hold the opposing offense to just eight points each as Tatum could not make a floater as the buzzer sounded, sending the game to double overtime. In the second overtime, Quickley once again took center stage, scoring the first seven points for New York. Mitchell Robinson made an important free throw that set up a final possession for Boston. Al Horford’s three-point attempt fell just short as New York survived.
The Knicks extended their win streak to nine and took the season series from Boston three games to one.
Quickley led New York with a career-high 38 points. Randle also eclipsed 30 points with three other Knicks in double figures. All five Boston starters finished in double figures, led by 40 points from Tatum.
Highlights
What’s Next
The Knicks host the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden before heading west for four games. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.