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Rampant Knicks blow out Celtics to advance to first East finals since 2000

It didn’t take long for the New York Knicks to turn their biggest game in a quarter-century into a complete laugher on Friday night.

Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby scored 23 points apiece as the Knicks eliminated the defending champion Boston Celtics with a 119-81 beatdown in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semi-final series, sending New York into the last four of the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2000.

The Knicks advance to face the Indiana Pacers, the same team they faced in each of their previous three trips to the East finals in 1994, 1999 and 2000. Game 1 is Wednesday night in New York.

The Knicks overcame a sloppy opening quarter to lead by as many as 41 points during a non-competitive second half in front of a rollicking, celebrity-flecked crowd that included Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Bad Bunny and Lenny Kravitz. It marked the first time New York closed out a playoff series on their home court since the strike-shortened season of 1999, when they reached the NBA finals as a No 8 seed.

Boston’s doomed title defense ended with a whimper. The Celtics, who had staved off elimination with a convincing Game 5 win, were blown off the floor in a display that lacked the grit, execution and fighting spirit that defined last season’s championship run. Missing Jayson Tatum after his season-ending achilles injury in Game 4, Boston’s depleted supporting cast of Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser struggled to make an impact, failing to score either before or during the Knicks’ decisive 17-4 run that opened up a 33-20 advantage, New York’s biggest lead of the series to that point.

That surge, sparked by Mikal Bridges’ perimeter shooting and Karl-Anthony Towns’ inside presence, ballooned into a 64-37 half-time advantage. Bridges drained four three-pointers on his way to 22 points, while Towns added 21, dominating Boston’s thin frontline. Josh Hart chipped in with a triple-double of 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, further stifling any hope of a Celtics comeback.

The Knicks kept their foot on the gas after the break, stretching their lead to as many as 41 points as Boston coach Joe Mazzulla began pulling his starters midway through the third quarter. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 20 points before fouling out before the final period, but his efforts came in isolation as New York’s defense forced Boston into rushed shots and clumsy turnovers.

New York’s Game 6 demolition was a statement of intent, solidifying their return to the NBA’s elite after decades of mediocrity. It will also rekindle memories of those classic Knicks-Pacers showdowns, with Madison Square Garden now set to host Indiana in a throwback to their bruising battles of the 90s. For the first time in a generation, the Knicks will play a conference final series with genuine aspirations of returning to the NBA summit for the first time since 1973.