127
102
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bos | 30 | 29 | 32 | 36 | 127 |
| NYK | 32 | 27 | 17 | 26 | 102 |
When everything was against, the NBA champions pressed their teeth, showed their pride and survived the first of the three games in which their survival is played. The Boston Celtics won the New York Knicks (127-102) on Wednesday despite the absence of their main star, Jayson Tatum, who broke the Achilles tendon on Monday. Derrick White in the scorer and Luke Hornet facet on the defensive took a step forward to keep the tie alive. Despite this, the Celtics would still need to win another two games to move on to the final of the Eastern Conference.
Celtics have a complete, compensated and combined template. Although Tatum is the main scorer of the team and his absence is noted, they have talent between the rest of the headlines and the best bench in the league. In the absence of Tatum, Jaylen Brown is the reference of the team. The number 7 of the premises, which was the best player of the end of last year, achieved 26 points, 12 assists and 8 rebounds. However, who wore Wednesday above the rest in the offensive facet was Derrick White. The 30 -year -old escort added 34 points thanks especially to a series of seven triples in 13 attempts. In addition, he carried the rival team and added another 9 points from the free throw line.
The other great surprise of the party for Boston’s were Luke Kornet’s benefits. The 2.16 -meter high pivot, third theoretical in the hierarchy of the position, behind the Latvian Kristaps Porziņģis and the Dominican to Horford, became a defensive wall with its seven caps and its intimacy effect on the rival attack. To that added 10 points and nine rebounds. The Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla decided to keep him on the track most of the game to the detriment of a porziņģis that carries all the postseason well below his level.
Kornet was the key man of a much more intense defense than in the previous parties against the Celtics. Except in the first quarter, which closed with a visiting advantage, the Celtics managed to stop Jalen Brunson, the key to the Knicks game, which ended 22 points and saw the last seven minutes of the game from the bench, reserving for Friday’s duel, this time in the Madison Square Garden in New York.
In Boston’s attack, Payton Pritchard also highlighted, with his 17 points, thanks to five triples. Jrue Holiday contributed 14 and Horford, another 12. The Celtics ended up playing without Tatum their best game of the east conference semifinal.
After a very balanced first quarter, the Knicks took an advantage of nine points at the beginning of the second. The locals were replaced and the game reached the break with 59 points. It was in the resumption that Boston’s put land in between, thanks above all to their aggressive defense. The Knicks scored only 17 points in the third quarter, so the Celtics escaped for 15 points. At the beginning of the last quarter, the advantage already exceeded 20 points to the joy of the attendees who crowded the TD Garden, the same stadium where the Celtics were proclaimed champions a year ago and where on Wednesday they made it clear that they will not give up easily. Although they lack tatum.
For more updates, visit our homepage: NewsTimesWire
