BSJ Game Report: Celtics 131, Knicks 104 - Tatum's 40 leads C's in blowout win

Everything you need to know about the Celtics win over the Knicks, with BSJ insight and analysis.

IN A NUTSHELL

The Celtics came out strong in all phases, led by 10 from Jayson Tatum and eight from Jaylen Brown, to lead by 11 after one. It got as high as 18 thanks to Payton Pritchard’s shooting and some great play from their centers, but Jalen Brunson’s seven free throws kept the Knicks within 13. Fouls continued to help New York cut the lead down to 3, but Boston went on a monster run, fueled by Tatum’s 19 points, to extend the lead to 20. Pritchard got it going again in the fourth, and the Celtics cruised. They have beaten New York by a combined 50 points in their two games this season.

Box Score

HEADLINES

- A gem from Tatum: I wrote in the preview that “he stunk on ice against Dallas. I don’t think he’ll do that twice, especially in a Saturday night TNT game. I think Tatum has a 40-spot in him tonight.” Tatum finished with 40 on the nose on 50% shooting from 2 and 3 and 7-9 shooting from the line. He only had four assists, so this was all about him. 

- Centers of attention: Luke Kornet was great filling in for Kristaps Porzingis, who was a late scratch. He was perfect from the field on his way to a 14 and 12 double-double with five offensive rebounds. Neemias Queta added 11 and 8 with three offensive rebounds. They did a great job 

- 3-point barrage: Brian Scalabrine called this one before the game, saying the Knicks' defense allows too many good looks and that Boston should take advantage. They did exactly that, hitting 19-39 from deep. That was really fueled by three guys, Tatum, Pritchard, and Derrick White, who combined for 17-29.

TURNING POINT 

The Knicks cut the lead to 3, 70-67, at the 6:52 mark of the third quarter. The Celtics answered with a 23-5 run to make it 21 nearly six minutes later. Tatum had nine of those points.

THINGS I LIKED

Third-quarter response: The Celtics took a huge punch from the Knicks and fired back an even bigger haymaker. 

“We knew they were going to make a run there, but I just kind of liked our poise,” Joe Mazzulla said after the game. “Just continue to stick to the game plan, stuck to the details. I thought we played pretty good basketball for, like, 46 minutes. They test you in that, so the guys did a good job.”

I like that the run started from the line. The first five points were free throws, which was fitting because most of the Knicks' run came from the line.

Jayson Tatum: This was a Tatum isolation masterpiece. The Knicks had nothing to throw at him that could really stop him. This was a classic Tatum performance in that once we saw him hit some deep 3-pointers, it was clear he was on one. When Tatum is hitting those 3-pointers early, forget it. 

Maybe that's why he spends so much time searching for those when he’s cold. 

Payton Pritchard: As big as Tatum’s night obviously was, Pritchard going for 14 points in the second and 11 in the fourth was huge. His 25 points in this game nearly matched the 28 by the entire Knicks bench. When he has it going, the Celtics are tough to beat. 

Derrick White: Jaylen Brown had a good first half but didn't do much after that, offensively, so getting this kind of performance from White (17 points, 5-9 fg (4-7 3pt), four assists, three rebounds, one block) is a very nice supporting line from White on a night that Tatum was carrying the team. 

Luke Kornet: He found out he was starting while in layup lines, and he came right in and, as Tatum said after the game, “played his ass off.” He was exactly the kind of defensive presence the Celtics needed while finishing off plays in the pick-and-roll, getting putbacks, and keeping possessions alive. 14 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocked shots is a perfect night for him. 

Neemias Queta: He did a nice job switching on the perimeter while also getting on the boards. The Celtics rolled with double-big lineups that were incredibly effective, holding the Knicks to just 12-27 shooting in the restricted area. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

This section gets the night off. I’m sure one of these next couple of games will give me plenty to be upset about, so I’m not going to bother with that energy when they just throttled the Knicks on national TV. 

HIGHLIGHTS

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- Message sent.

I don’t care what anyone says, these games against Cleveland and New York were messages. The Cavs and Knicks are supposed to be Boston’s top competition and Boston out-classed them both over the past three games. 

Yeah, they botched that Mavs game and it’s frustrating as all hell when they do that. But they dominated this game. They took New York’s big shot in the third quarter, dusted themselves off, and hit back stronger and harder. The Knicks showed some life and Boston said “that’s cute” and buried them where they stood. 

I’m not going to argue that their worst moments aren’t annoying, maddening, and in some ways insulting. But I will say their best moments, which we’ve seen twice in three games, make it clear that these guys can reach the level they need to reach when they want it. 

Next up: The Celtics head to Miami to take on the Heat on Monday night