NEW YORK, NY — Jalen Brunson delivered another masterclass under pressure, scoring 39 points and dishing out 12 assists to lead the New York Knicks to a pivotal 121-113 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday night in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The victory gives New York a commanding 3-1 series lead—and puts them one win away from their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000.
But the Knicks’ surge was overshadowed by a frightening moment late in the game when Celtics star Jayson Tatum collapsed to the court with a non-contact injury to his right leg. The severity is still unknown, but the image of Boston’s leading scorer being carried off with 2:58 remaining casts a cloud over the defending champions’ already slim hopes.
“Now it’s about rallying,” Celtics veteran Al Horford said. “We’ve lost our leader. We’ve got to regroup fast and fight on Wednesday.”
The Celtics now face a daunting challenge: becoming only the 14th team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 deficit. And if Tatum is unavailable, it becomes even more unlikely.
Tatum was electric before the injury, scoring a playoff-high 42 points and helping the Celtics build a double-digit first-half lead. Boston led by 11 at the break, 62-51, and looked poised to retake control of the series. But the Knicks had other plans.
Brunson took over in the third quarter, scoring 18 of the Knicks’ 37 points in the period as New York erased the deficit and seized momentum. Head coach Tom Thibodeau kept his starters in for the entire third quarter, and it paid off—by the time the final frame began, the Knicks had turned a sluggish start into a surge.
“We knew what was at stake,” Brunson said. “We came out desperate, hungry, and ready to fight.”
Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each added 23 points, and OG Anunoby bounced back with 20 after two quiet outings. Anunoby’s clutch three-pointer with just under four minutes left broke a 102-102 tie, and the Knicks followed with an 11-0 run that sealed the win.
Despite their hot start, the Celtics unraveled in the second half. Turnovers, missed opportunities, and ultimately Tatum’s injury left them reeling. Derrick White did his part with 23 points and six threes, while Jaylen Brown contributed 20, but it wasn’t enough to stave off a Knicks team that’s found its rhythm at just the right time.
Game 5 is set for Wednesday night in Boston, where the Celtics will need to rediscover their identity—and quickly—if they want to keep their season alive. Should the Knicks falter there, they’ll have a chance to close out the series Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
But make no mistake: with Tatum’s status uncertain and momentum clearly on New York’s side, the defending champs are teetering on the brink.
