Knicks 96, Celtics 92: Postgame Reaction
Your New York Knicks are the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, after knocking off the shorthanded Boston Celtics in the season’s final game.
One paragraph to describe the game
The Knicks needed this game to ensure their place as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They didn’t really play like it to start the game, and had a troublesome let-up in the late stages of the fourth quarter against the Celtics’ back-of-the-bench players, but ultimately they did what was needed to put a stamp on their surprising and wonderful 2020-21 season. The Knicks finish the season at 10 games over .500, 41-31, and will have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Game ball
RJ Barrett: 22 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 7-12 shooting
Julius Randle did what he had to in this game to secure a 24/10/6 season and put himself in some lofty company, but ultimately this game belonged to RJ Barrett. Before the Knicks almost collapsed in the fourth quarter, Barrett put his stamp all over this one with a dominant stretch in the third quarter, where he did everything from long-range bombs to strong finishes inside.
Big stat
41-31. No matter how they got there, even with some ugly wins like this one, the New York Knicks finished 10 games over .500 and No. 4 seed in the East after being projected just over 20 wins prior to the season. The minutiae isn’t worth stressing over at this point. They get five days of rest before hosting a home playoff opener at Madison Square Garden. Let that sink in.
Unsung hero
Nerlens Noel: 2 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals
Other significant performances
Julius Randle: 20 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds
Reggie Bullock: 16 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Alec Burks: 17 points, 5 rebounds
