Brunson & Knicks Surge in 2nd Half to Take 3-1 Game Lead. NY 121 Boston 113

May 13, 2025 LouV 2024-25 0
Jalen Brunson with the bucket. Photo courtesy NY Knicks.

Jalen Brunson scored 39 points in a legendary performance, leading the Knicks who came out with intensity in the 2nd half to erase a 14-pt deficit and win going away, 121-113 at a frenetic Madison Square Garden on a Monday night — taking a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 game series.

The game was marred with 3 minutes left when Jayson Tatum went down with a non-contact injury — possibly a torn achilles– and was carried off the court. Tatum was trying to switch direction and catch a pass from Jaylen Brown that OG Anunoby intercepted for a full court slam and Knick 9-pt lead.

Tatum also had a legendary performance with 42 pts, hitting 3’s from the logo — he and Brunson went tet-a-tet in the 3rd quarter, Brunson winning the duel — scoring 18 pts in the period — to lead NY to a 3-pt lead entering the 4th.

All the Knicks were on their game: Mikal Bridges was an assassin with 23 pts, most of them deuces after slick moves into the paint; OG Anunoby had 20 pts including 4-8 from 3; Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 pts on 11-15 shooting and 11 rebounds; Josh Hart did the dirty work with 5 pts, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists; Mitchell Robinson was stellar inside — 8 rebounds — 5 offensive — and 4 pts on slams in 25 minutes of big body defense; and Miles McBride played 20 tough minutes, with 6 pts on 2-3 shooting from 3.

“They hit us early, and obviously we got in a hole,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “But I loved the way we fought back. Showed a lot of toughness and more discipline in the 2nd half. Timely plays; everyone working together on both ends of the floor. It starts with your defense, and you have to have a lot of toughness, and then you have to do what you have to do to win — and I thought the guys did that.”

1. Boston Jumps Out to 16-6 Lead; Knicks Punch Back

The Knicks came out with aggression, looking to make amends for the shellacking they took at the hands of the Celtics at Madison Square Garden in Game 3.

But Derrick White hit 3 (three) 3’s in the first 3 minutes and then Jaylen Brown hit a 3 and Boston was up 16-6 anyway.

The Knicks fought back — Mikal Bridges hit a 3, then a deuce, Brunson hit a 3, and OG hit a 3 for 11 consecutive NY points a 17-16 Knick lead with 5:21 left in the 1st quarter.

2. Tatum Hitting 3’s from Logo

But Derrick White answered with ANOTHER 3, and the two teams went back and forth.

KAT hit a drive off a Mitchell Robinson pass and NY had a 26-25 lead; Tatum answered with a pullup to give Boston the lead; Brunson answered with a floater and NY had a 28-27 lead with 1:31 left in the 1st.

Then Jayson Tatum got Red Hot — hitting 3 (three) 3’s — some near the logo — sandwiching a 3 by Payton Pritchard and Boston rang up an 11-pt lead at 39-28 entering the 2nd.

3. Knicks Punch Back Again in 2nd

But the Knicks kept fighting — KAT scored inside off a Bridges assist, McBride hit a 3, and KAT scored inside again for 7 straight Knick points to begin the 2nd quarter, pulling them to within 4 at 39-35.

Mitchell Robinson was beasting inside on the offensive glass, giving the Knicks 2nd opportunites. On one play, he grabbed two offensive rebounds — the 2nd resulting in a Deuce McBride 3.

4. Boston Up 11 at Half

Boston flurried back to take a 12-pt lead; the Knicks punched back to pull within 48-44 on a KAT drive.

But Tatum hit another 3, and buckets by Jaylen Brown and Porzingis and free throws by White put Boston back up by 13 at 60-47.

The Knicks hung tough in the final minute of the half — Brunson free throws pulled NY to within 62-51.

5. Brunson vs Tatum Epic 3rd Quarter

And then came the epic 3rd quarter.

Bridges and KAT scored for NY early in the quarter — KAT with a drive-and-1 and a dunk. But Tatum hit another 3 from the logo and Derrick White followed with a 3 and Boston was up 14 at 72-58.

The Knicks kept coming.

Brunson hit a 3. The Knicks got a stop. Brunson hit a drive. Tatum missed a 3. Jaylen Brown was called for a flagrant foul on Brunson — getting under his landing feet — and Brunson made 2 of 3 free throws to pull NY within 72-65.

Bridges hit a deuce.

Derrick White hit a 3 and Tatum dunked for a 77-67 Celtic lead.

But the Knicks kept coming.

  • Brunson hit a drive and KAT scored inside. Boston 77 NY 71.

And then Tatum and Brunson went back and forth:

  • Tatum hit a J.
  • Brunson hit a 3.
  • Tatum hit a driving layup.
  • Brunson fed KAT for a 15-footer.
  • Tatum hit a 15 footer.
  • Brunson hit a drive off an offensive rebound.

  • Brunson hit an 11-footer after a Hart free throw and NY was within 83-81.

  • Brunson hit a 13-footer to tie the game 83-83 with 1:07 left in the quarter.
  • Tatum hit 2 free throws.
  • Brunson fed OG for a 3 and NY had an 86-85 lead.
  • A Josh Hart drive with 3 seconds left gave NY an 88-85 lead entering the 4th.

6. Knicks Take It in 4th

And then Mikal Bridges took over the Knick offense at the start of the 4th.

He made 2 jumpers in the lane early in the quarter, then fed KAT for a drive and NY was up 94-89.

  • A Tatum drive and Kristaps Porzingis free throws pulled Boston within a point.
  • But Bridges hit another pullup in the lane.
  • Tatum hit two 3’s to put Boston up 99-98 with 7:17 left.

  • But Bridges hit a 16 footer to put NY up 100-99.

OG then stepped up:

  • OG hit a drive but a Tatum drive-and-1 tied the game 102-102 with 6 minutes left.
  • OG hit a huge 3 to put NY up, but a Jrue Holliday drive made it 105-104 NY with 5:22 left.

In the final minutes, Brunson took over again.

  • A Brunson drive put NY up 3, and a Brunson pullup put NY up 109-104.
  • Brunson fed Bridges for a pullup and NY was up 111-104 with 3:22 left.

Boston timeout.

7. Tatum Injured with 3 Minutes Left

Out of the timeout, Bridges hounded Jaylen Brown into a bad pass to Tatum and OG intercepted for a runaway slam and ballgame — 113-104 NY with 3:03 left as Tatum fell to the ground in excruciating pain.

8. Knicks Finish It

After a long injury timeout, Tatum was helped off the court and put in a wheelchair.

Jaylen Brown missed a 3, Brunson hit a 3 and NY had the game — 116-104 with 2:25 left.

In the final 2 minutes, Payton Pritchard furiously made some buckets to attempt to bring Boston back, but NY had answers for the ballgame.

9. Brunson Clinic

It was a team win that ended on a horrible note with the Jayson Tatum injury — but the Brunson-Tatum duel will go down as an epic battle — with Brunson engineering the win.

As NBA Analyst Ross Kreines summed up, “Jalen Brunson dictates where he wants to go and how he will beat you whether attacking his defenders top foot, keeping his defender on hip to hit floater, finishing in lane, creating contact, backing his defender down and schooling them while using fundamentals and finding open man.”

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401769749

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