Knicks Stun Celtics In Overtime Thriller To Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

Knicks Stun Celtics In Overtime Thriller To Keep Playoff Hopes Alive...

The New York Knicks delivered a dramatic 121-119 overtime victory against the Boston Celtics on Thursday night, keeping their Eastern Conference playoff push alive. Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 42 points, including the game-winning floater with 1.2 seconds left in OT at Madison Square Garden.

The win moves the Knicks (42-38) into sole possession of the 8th seed, just one game behind the 7th-place Miami Heat with two games remaining. The Celtics (60-20), who had already clinched the East's top seed, rested starters Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for most of the fourth quarter.

Thursday's matchup trended nationally as fans debated whether Boston's late-game lineup decisions constituted "tanking" to avoid facing Miami in the first round. The NBA announced Friday morning it will review the Celtics' substitution patterns for potential competitive integrity violations.

Brunson's heroics capped a wild final sequence where the Knicks erased a 7-point deficit in the last 90 seconds of regulation. Julius Randle added 29 points despite playing with a sprained ankle, while Derrick White led Boston with 30 off the bench.

The victory marks New York's first season series win over Boston since 2013, fueling optimism among a fanbase that hasn't seen a conference finals appearance since 2000. MSG Networks reported a 28% ratings spike during the overtime period, the highest for a regular-season Knicks game in five years.

Both teams finish their regular seasons Sunday. The Knicks visit Indiana while Boston hosts Washington, with playoff seeding implications for multiple Eastern Conference clubs. NBA analysts project New York would face Cleveland in the play-in tournament if they maintain their current position.

Social media erupted with reactions to the thriller, particularly after Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters postgame: "We're focused on being healthy for the real games." The comment drew criticism from several NBA veterans, including Charles Barkley, who called it "disrespectful to competitors" during TNT's postgame show.