BSJ Game Report: Celtics 119, Knicks 117 (OT) - Porzingis' career shooting night sinks Knicks

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

IN A NUTSHELL

Karl-Anthony Towns came out hot, attacking switches and dropping 22 points in the first half. The Celtics struggled shooting but Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis combined for 29 to keep Boston within six at halftime. Porzingis had a monster third quarter, giving Boston a five-point lead going into the fourth. Celtics turnovers cost them the lead, but Tatum’s late 3 forced overtime. Porzingis and Jrue Holiday carried the load and Boston won it in OT.

Al Horford did not play in this game.

Box Score

HEADLINES

- Porzingis bombing away: He tied a career-high with eight 3-pointers and a season-high with 34 points. He changed the game in the third quarter and won it in overtime. According to NBC Sports stats master Dick Lipe, Porzings became the first seven-footer with two games in a season with eight 3-pointers. 

- Winning while not at their best: The Celtics got out-rebounded, they gave up 22 points off turnovers, and 60 points in the paint. Jaylen Brown gave them nothing, Derrick White couldn't hit a thing, and the Celtics still managed to get the win. They're going to have to win games like this sometimes, so it was good for them to do it against a team that REALLY wanted to win.

- Road dominance: This year’s Celtics team now owns the best single-season road record in team history. Their 33 wins surpassed the 1972-73 Celtics. They could tie the NBA record with a win tomorrow. 

- Second seed: We knew this was going to be the case, but Cleveland’s win tonight clinched the top seed for them. The Celtics are officially the second seed. 

TURNING POINT

Porzingis hit two free throws to break a 110 tie in overtime and then he hit this long bomb to put the game away. 

THINGS I LIKED

- Kristaps Porzingis: More on KP coming up separately, but 34 points on 11-19 shooting (8-13 3pt) along with four rebounds, three assists, a block, and a steal is one hell of a night. It was especially huge on a night when Towns came out so hot. He ultimately matched KAT’s 34, which allowed Tatum to out-duel Brunson for the game. 

- Jayson Tatum: 32 points on 11-22 shooting (4-11 3pt), seven rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block. He hit the game-tying 3-pointer to send it to OT as part of a 12-point fourth quarter. He also joined Derrick White and Payton Pritchard in passing Isaiah Thomas on the single-season 3-pointers made list. It’s wild that IT came into the season with the record and he’ll end it in fourth. 

- Jrue Holiday: He was the steady hand in this game. He book-ended Porzingis’ big third quarter with some important buckets and he hit four free throws in the overtime to help hold the Knicks off. He finished with 16 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block. 

- Second-half defense on Towns: He had 22 points in the first half, but just nine in the second and three in overtime. They did a good job limiting his touches. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

- Jaylen Brown: He was nowhere near himself in this game. He’ll almost certainly get the Orlando game off and then play 20 minutes in the final two games to qualify for postseason awards. I’ll be shocked if that's not what’s going on. I don’t know how a six-point, five-rebound, one-assist, three-turnover game helps him, but that's what he did. 

I hope he knows what he’s doing. 

- Guarding Towns in the post: No one could stop him in the post. Al Horford really is the only Celtic with the strength and size to be effective against him in the post.

- Luke Kornet: Every once in a while, we’re reminded that he’s the third-string big and he’ not going to be great every night. Some matchups are tough for him. This was one of them.

HIGHLIGHTS

THREE TAKES KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- Not calling the timeout eliminated the Knicks strategy of fouling up three. 

After the Knicks scored to take a 3-point lead, the Celtics quickly inbounded the ball. Tatum brought it up, attacked OG Anunoby, and drilled the game-tying 3-pointer. 

This play is the epitome of why you foul when you're up three in the closing seconds. But by bringing the ball up without a timeout, the Celtics (a) didn't let the Knicks sub in better defenders, (b) didn't let the Knicks talk to remind each other to foul, and (c) had Tatum on the move towards the basket where it would be very dangerous to foul because he could have sensed the contact and potentially drawn a shooting foul or four-point play. 

Teams need to be aware of time and score, so the Knicks should have known what to do. They should have pressured Tatum and gotten him to turn his back and THEN fouled him. But not calling the timeout puts a lot of pressure on the defense in that moment and these kinds of details can get lost as the seconds tick off the clock. So many coaches call a timeout automatically in that situation. This was a great example of why you don't always do that.

- The home losses sting a bit more now.

Only three teams in NBA history have won 33 road games. The 72-win Bulls, the 73-win Warriors, and currently 59-win Celtics (with three games to go). 

Last year’s Celtics were 37-4 at home. Hey … look at that! The 37 home wins plus 33 road wins equals 70! 

I’m not saying this should have been a 70-win season. I am saying that it would have been nice to get some of those home wins, and if they did this could have been a record-setting season. 

None of it matters in the long run, but it’s funny to see what last year’s home dominance plus this year’s road dominance would have looked like all mashed together. 

- The Knicks can’t beat good teams. 

Man, what a gut punch this was for them. They were about to exorcise a demon here and take a little confidence into the playoffs. The Celtics winning this game playing the way they did for parts of it, and with Brown as a no-show, has the potential to be a real mind … oh I’ll just say game. 

They’ve lost every game to the Celtics, Cavs, and Thunder this season. That's brutal. Imagine them getting swept by Boston in the second round of the playoffs. I don’t know if Tom Thibodeau would survive that. 

Next up: The Celtics play their final road game of the season tomorrow night in Orlando.