Thibodeau’s Impact on Knicks vs. Celtics Game
It seems that Tom Thibodeau might have been assisting his former team in an unexpected way.
During his recent trip to the Celtics, he examined the Knicks’ victory over Boston last spring—and the findings weren’t exactly promising.
Not much has altered since that matchup when the Knicks faced the Celtics last May.
Currently, the Celtics are still missing Jayson Tatum. Without their star player, their chances of securing a win in the Eastern Conference semifinals—or last night’s game—were slim.
The Knicks managed to shake off a sluggish start, defeating the Celtics 105-95 at Madison Square Garden. This win marked their second victory of the season under new coach Mike Brown.
In a morning shootaround, Jaylen Brown expressed his excitement about playing at MSG. “Tonight should be a fun night,” remarked the All-Star.
And it was indeed a fun night for the home team and their supporters.
After trailing by eight points following the first quarter, the Knicks turned the game around, leading 42-14 in the second quarter and finishing with a 20-point advantage.
The Knicks displayed impressive scoring, with 12 field goals, eight assists, and ten successful shots.
The surge began with an 11-0 run that eventually ballooned into a 28-6 streak. During this span, the Celtics managed only four field goals while hitting six 3-pointers, with OG Anunoby and Jordan Clarkson contributing two each.
As the buzzer sounded, Jaylen Brown executed a nice move to shake his defender but missed the shot—just one of those nights for both teams.
The Celtics struggled to recover, facing little threat from the Knicks after halftime.
The closest the Celtics came was within nine points in the closing moments of the fourth quarter. The Knicks dominated the game, even in the absence of starting center Mitchell Robinson. They didn’t appear fatigued, even shooting just 38 percent from the field and committing 15 turnovers. The rebounding battle was heavily in favor of the Knicks, who out-rebounded the Celtics by 17, leading to 23 second-chance points from offensive rebounds.
Much like their season opener against the Cavaliers, the Knicks displayed a well-rounded offense and a boost from their bench players.
Jalen Brunson led with 31 points and five assists, followed by Karl-Anthony Towns with 26 points and 13 rebounds. Mikal Bridges chipped in with 12 points, while Tyler Kolek (4 assists) and Josh Hart (14 rebounds, 3 assists) made significant contributions off the bench.
The only unfortunate moment came near the end of the fourth quarter when Anunoby limped off and didn’t return. He was later seen on a stationary bike, riding it inside the tunnel.
