Jalen Brunson and the Knicks keep their edge in a tense Celtics return
NEW YORK — jalen brunson was again at the center of a night that felt bigger than the box score. In a building that still carries the memory of last spring’s playoff heartbreak, the Knicks answered a Celtics push, held on late, and left Madison Square Garden with a 112-106 victory that kept the Eastern Conference race tight.
How did the Knicks win this one?
The Knicks did not cruise. They built a 13-point lead in the third quarter, then watched Boston storm back with a 19-4 run and briefly take a two-point edge entering the fourth. New York steadied itself from there, with Josh Hart scoring 15 of his 26 points in the final quarter and hitting two 3-pointers in the last 42 seconds.
Brunson finished with 25 points and 10 assists, giving New York the kind of steady offensive control it needed in a game that kept turning. The result moved the Knicks to 52-28 and kept them two games behind Boston with two games remaining for both teams. New York also owns the season-series tiebreaker, having won it 3-1.
Why did Tatum’s return matter so much?
Jayson Tatum’s return to Madison Square Garden gave the night an edge that went beyond standings. It was his first game back on the same court where he ruptured his Achilles tendon in last season’s playoffs. He nearly posted a triple-double, finishing with 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in 40 minutes.
But the shooting line told the fuller story: 7 of 22 from the field, 2 of 10 from 3-point range, and six turnovers. The Knicks outscored Boston by 16 in Tatum’s minutes, which stood out as the largest minus on the Celtics side. Without Jaylen Brown, Boston still had enough to threaten, but not enough to finish the comeback.
What does this say about the larger rivalry?
The game sat inside a charged backdrop. Boston had spent the night carrying the weight of last season’s playoff collapse against New York, a series that ended with consecutive 20-point leads lost at the start of the semifinals. Brown had recently described that defeat as something the Celtics wanted to answer, saying the team might “spin the block” and run it back.
New York did not need a dramatic answer to the remarks. It only needed to survive the wave. Hart declined to dwell on Brown’s comments, while noting that two separate 20-point comeback wins last season were not a fluke. On this night, the Knicks did not need a miracle. They needed late poise, and Brunson and Hart supplied it.
What does this mean for the final stretch?
The standings give the game immediate weight. The Knicks remain in position to chase the No. 2 seed, while Boston still holds the lead. The margin is thin enough that every remaining game matters, especially with the tiebreaker already in New York’s pocket.
For the Knicks, the broader significance is more human than mathematical. This was a test of whether they could absorb Boston’s best shot in a game that carried the memory of last spring. For Brunson, it was another night in which control, pace and late-game execution shaped the outcome. jalen brunson was not the loudest presence in the building, but he helped make sure the final word belonged to New York.
Image alt text: jalen brunson leads the Knicks in a tense win over the Celtics at Madison Square Garden
