Recap: Jaylen Brown Plays Aggressor, Leads Celtics Past Knicks 101-99
David Butler II | USA TODAY Sports
The Celtics took on the Knicks at TD Garden on night two of a tough back-to-back. They fought hard throughout the whole game and were able to come away with a gritty 101-99 win. Jaylen Brown’s constant determination to win led the way and helped Boston jump ahead of the Knicks in the standings.
Jayson Tatum and Brown were the focal points of the Celtics’ offense in this one. Tatum struggled early on but ended the game with 25 points. He also had 10 rebounds and five assists to go along with it. Brown was a force throughout the game, leading the team in scoring with 32 points. He was super aggressive all night long and led the way for Boston.
Julius Randle managed to shake off a rough first half and finished second on the Knicks in the scoring column. After scoring only 7 points on 3-10 shooting in the first half, he ended the game with 22 points. This included a massive 13-point third quarter. RJ Barrett also poured in 29 for New York. He, Randle, Tatum, and Brown were the only four players to score in the double-digits through the first three quarters.
Boston’s defensive intensity looked much better in this one, but the offense was inconsistent. They shot 38.3% from the field in the first half. Boston’s bench ended the night shooting 2-9 from deep.
Their three-point shooting has slowly become the premiere part of their offense and that reared its ugly head at times throughout this game. They did end up shooting a respectable percentage from that distance on the game, however (37.5%).
Tristan Thompson had a strong game in his return to the team. He posted seven points and eight rebounds on the night. His physicality was felt in the paint was a much-needed factor against a tough Knicks team.
Both teams battled late in the game. The Knicks held a small lead throughout the majority of the fourth, but the C’s persevere. They managed to take the lead back with 4:32 remaining in the period. Despite this, Randle and Barrett were fighting hard to keep New York in the game.
Marcus Smart played a huge role late in the game, sinking a couple of huge shots. He nailed a big-time three with 36 seconds remaining to take a three-point lead. A clutch block from Brown was the dagger despite some late-game dramatics at the hands of Barrett. A few free throws sealed a 101-99 win for the Celtics.
Boston battled hard to avoid a two-game skid and was able to jump ahead of the Knicks in the Eastern Conference standings. Their next game will be on Friday, April 9 against the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:30 PM EST on NBC Sports Boston.
