BSJ Game Report: Celtics 101, Knicks 99 - Celtics gut out a gritty win for once

Everything you need to know about the Boston Celtics 101-99 win over the New York Knicks, with BSJ insight and analysis. 

Box Score

They needed a win like this. This kind of win hasn’t happened often for the Celtics. There were a few different times in the fourth quarter that it looked like the game could slip away, but the Celtics kept on coming back. 

“That was a what-we’re-used-to, grind-it-out, physical kind of Celtics win that I think has been what we’ve been about when we’re at our best,” Brad Stevens said. “I thought that we played really hard tonight. I thought we really guarded tonight, super physical, second night of a back-to-back.”

Marcus Smart put his stamp on the game. He was the catalyst for this. To Stevens’ point, this really was a very Celtics win with Smart getting back to making some incomprehensible winning plays and Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum closing games out. The gritty win had Smart’s gritty personality all over it. 

TURNING POINT

The Celtics called a timeout after the Knicks took an 85-80 lead with 5:50, and Boston came out of the break and whipped off a 9-0 run to take a lead they’d never relinquish.

SECOND GUESS

Starting Romeo Langford might have been a bit of a stretch at this point of his return.  

TOP PLAY

https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1379947487474032641

FOUR UP 

Jaylen Brown: This was an All-Star level performance from Brown, who was aggressive from the start. He was huge in the third quarter, keeping the game close and then he made some big baskets in transition in the fourth. 

Jayson Tatum: He had 8 turnovers, which is bad, but he was attacking the basket as well. The Celtics aren’t known for going for those shots when it matters, but in that closing run after the timeout, that’s where Tatum and Brown went. 



Marcus Smart: 14 fourth-quarter points for Smart to go along with 3 assists, 2 rebounds, and just 1 turnover. He made huge plays, like recognizing and catching a Tatum airball and putting it in and hitting two massive 3-pointers. 

“I know that sometimes we get caught up in some of the home-run swings he takes,” Stevens said. “I think those get overanalyzed and everybody misses the fact that he’s got the courage to do it. He’s tough, he helps you win, and tonight he made a ton of big plays.”

Tristan Thompson: This was a huge performance from a guy fresh out of the COVID-19 protocol. 

“It was too hard to take him out,” Stevens said. “If you look at how the game was flowing with even him and Grant in the game ... both of them played very physically, both of them played well. They communicated in pick-and-rolls, they handled the pick-and-rolls exceptionally well. Yeah, I mean he’s one of our more physical players, and when he’s out, that hurts.”

Thompson played 7:29 of the fourth and had two huge blocked shots to keep the Knicks at bay. He was a team-best +8 in the quarter. 

“I think for me the biggest thing was the wind and just being out there with the feel of a five-on-five setting with your teammates," he said. "You know you can always go five-on-five with the coaches or some of the young players that are on the team that don't get as many minutes, but nothing compares to going five-on-five with the first unit guys. So for me it was, it was getting my legs under me and just getting my wind. I missed a couple of hook shots that I usually make, but that's just getting my legs under me so just finding ways to impact the game.”

THREE DOWN

Romeo Langford: It was a rough night for Romeo. His timing was off, and he didn’t seem to be comfortable out there with the starting unit. It’s nothing concerning and I understand that his length against New York’s big wings was appealing. If these teams face off in the playoffs, Langford could start and be fine. 

Robert Williams: A second-straight struggle for Williams. Again, not the biggest concern for him or his future. He had his moments in this game, like his 5 offensive rebounds and 2 blocked shots. But no assists and just 3 baskets. It’s a reminder that, at this stage of Williams’ career, there are still some matchup-based decisions to be made about his playing time. 

Payton Pritchard: He was a little indecisive with the ball. It seemed like New York’s size bothered him. He stopped short on multiple drives and took some deep 3-pointers. 

TWO TAKES KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

Give the Knicks their due. This was a high-quality win. On a back-to-back, without Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, and facing a team they were tied with in the standings, the Celtics absorbed multiple punches from the Knicks and they battled through all of them. We can put a pin in this one as a potential turning point in the season. 

There is a tendency to overlook the Knicks because of their past, but this team plays tough defense and the Celtics earned this win. 

Is it safe to talk about Thompson/Williams? Suddenly the obvious "start Robert Williams" discussion becomes slightly less obvious. Yes, Williams will need reps with the starters to get more comfortable with them, but Thompson showed that he has value too. Thompson was one of the main reasons Boston won this game.

It's not a knock on Williams at all. And I agree that he needs time with the starters, which he'll get when the matchups are in his favor. But I think Williams and Thompson should both prepare themselves for a platoon situation and the guy who has the better game gets the closing minutes.

This team is clearly trying to win something, so, sorry tank-enthusiasts. This team's moves are geared towards winning games this year, and this seems like it's going to be the best approach.