NBA PLAYOFFS: Knicks dethrone Celtics, advance to East Finals

Sports

A NEW NBA champion will be crowned this season.

After a long wait, the New York Knicks will be finally playing in the Eastern Conference Finals, doing it at the expense of the defending champions as they trounced the Boston Celtics, 119-81, in Game 6 of their best-of-seven semifinal series on Saturday (Philippine time), May 17.

The Knicks won the series, 4-2, advancing to the East Finals for the first time in 25 years while ending the Celtics’ one-year title reign.

New York will be playing against the Indiana Pacers in the East Finals, which will begin on Thursday, May 22. The Knicks will have the homecourt advantage in the series,

Interestingly, the Knicks faced the Pacers the last time they made it to the Easf Finals in 2000.

Boston, which played without superstar Jayson Tatum, was only able to taste the lead once when Jaylen Brown converted a layup that put the Celtics ahead, 5-4.

Jalen Brunson hit a jumper that gave the lead back to the Knicks, 6-5. The Knicks would never relinquish the lead from that point on and even went to lead by as many as 41 points.

New York had a slim six-point lead after the first quarter, 26-20, but tore the game apart when it outscored Boston in the second period, 38-17, for a huge 64-37 halftime lead.

The Knicks outscored the Celtics in each of the four quarters to ice the 38-point blowout.

Brunson and OG Anunoby each scored 23 points to lead the Knicks. Mikal Bridges tossed in 22 points while Karl-Anthony Towns pitched in 21 markers and 12 rebounds.

Josh Hart did everything for the Knicks as he finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Miles McBride was the sixth Knick in twin digits with 10 points.

Jaylen Brown scored 20 points for the Celtics, who played without Tatum, the team’s leading scorer. Tatum underwent a surgery after rupturing his Achilles tendon in Game 4.(CCM)