Knicks Beat Celtics With Brunson & Hart at the Heart. NY 105 Boston 95

October 25, 2025 LouV 2025-26 0

Madison Square Garden thrummed with electricity on a Friday night as the New York Knicks squared off against the Boston Celtics in an early season grudge-rematch to last year’s playoffs, when the Knicks ousted the then-defending NBA champ Celtics.

The game was filled with pre-game intrigue:

  • Before the game, Celtic star Jaylen Brown was quoted as saying the Celtics as a team still couldn’t believe the Knicks ousted them — and would be coming to play on this night.
  • Of course Boston’s primary star Jayson Tatum would not be playing — he’ll be out this year after blowing out his achilles in the closing minutes of that series. That, along with the blown achilles of Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton in the finals, has left a clear path for the Knicks to be favored to go to the Finals this season.
  • And then of course this is a different-coached Knick team: Tom Thibodeau coached the Knicks to that series win — then NY fired him after a loss to Indy and brought in new coach Mike Brown.

With all of that hanging in the air — the Celtics — in a nationally broadcast game on Amazon — took an early double-digit lead on the Knicks — but NY stormed back and blew Boston off the court in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, going up by 24 at one point. The Celtics made a run late in the 3rd quarter into the 4th but the Knicks dominated down the stretch for the solid win: NY 105 Boston 95.

Brunson got all the big buckets in the 4th quarter and finished with 31 points, laced with five assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns Towns had 26 points and 13 rebounds, dominating inside and out.

Yet it was Josh Hart‘s season debut that stole the spotlight — 14 rebounds (6 offensive) in a blistering 19 minutes off the bench, igniting second-chance barrages and anchoring a rebounding edge that fueled 21 paint points. Hart — returning from a preseason back injury — was Everywhere defensively and on the boards — at times giving the Knicks 2nd and 3rd chances with offensive rebounds.

“Josh, man; a monster, monster, monster,” said coach Mike Brown afterwards. “And Josh could have easily got it as well. He guarded — everybody… Not only did he guard everybody, he had 6 offensive rebounds, 8 defensive rebounds. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen this before: 14 rebounds in 19 minutes. Just a phenomenal, phenomenal game doing the dirty stuff, by Josh.”

1. Celtics’ Fiery Start Met by Knicks’ Poise

The score was 14-13 Boston after a Karl-Anthony Towns 3 when Boston’s 2nd team went on a run in the last 4 minutes of the 1st quarter — Xavier Tillman hitting a 3, Jaylen Brown hitting a 3-and-1, and Anfernee Simons hitting a 3 to give Boston a 30-22 lead.

Stan Van Gundy was one of the national broadcasters on Amazon — so you know what that means; a lot of negativity towards the Knicks who never did re-associate themselves with his brother Jeff Van Gundy who quit on the Knicks as coach in the early 2000’s.

2. 2nd-Quarter Surge: Knicks’ 42-14 Onslaught Buries Boston

But as the 2nd quarter started the Knicks took command — quickly pulling out of their 8-pt hole with an 11-0 run that gave them the lead.

OG Anunoby dunked off a KAT feed, then hit a 3, followed by a Jordan Clarkson 3 to tie the game, followed by a Mikal Bridges 3 to make it 33-30 NY.

Backup point guard Tyler Kolek was wheeling and dealing — an energizing force in the backcourt for NY.

The Celtics pushed back with back-to-back 3’s by Sam Houser and Derrick White — but NY continued to dominate. Tyler Kolek hit a deuce and new Knick Guerschon Yabusele hit a 3 off a Kolek pass to put NY up 40-36.

Jalen Brunson returned and the starters amped up the Defense and the Offense — blowing Boston off the court to take a 20-pt halftime lead, with Brunson and KAT and OG and Mikal Bridges scoring from inside and outside on 3’s while Josh Hart kept ripping down offensive rebounds to give NY 2nd and 3rd chances on anything they missed.

The national broadcasters — and some Knick fans on Twitter — waxed poetic about the Knicks passing — although the Knicks’ passing looked exactly the same at this time last year under Thibs, when NY started the 2024-25 season looking tremendous on offense.

3. Knicks Take 24-Pt Lead in 3rd After Pushing Back Boston Run

Boston came out of the half with adjustments to their D that caused the Knicks to start missing shots and struggle a bit.

Meanwhile Sam Houser hit a 3, Neemias Queta hit a hook shot inside, and Houser hit another 3 and Boston pulled to within 64-52 just like that.

Miles McBride — a Thibs favorite — broke the Boston run with a 3 and Jalen Brunson stepped up with consecutive 3’s to push NY’s lead back to 19.

Mikal Bridges added a 3, KAT barreled inside for 2 free throws, and Brunson hit a pullup and NY had a 24-pt lead at 80-56 — its biggest lead of the game.

3. Boston Amps D — NY Doesn’t Hit a Shot Last 4:28 of 3rd

But just like last year’s 2nd half and playoffs — when the Knicks offense wasn’t so crisp when other teams amped up their defense, and NY relied on Jalen Brunson to break through those defenses and score and distribute — so it was in this game.

Boston amped up their D and the Knicks kept missing shots.

NY didn’t hit a shot in the last 4:28 of the quarter and Boston cut into the lead on a 3 and a drive by Jaylen Brown and a bucket by Hugo Gonzalez — pulling to within 17 — at 82-65 — entering the 4th.

4. Brunson Masterclass & Hart Rebounding Closes Curtain in 4th

Pain-in-the-ass Payton Pritchard hit a 3 to start the 4th quarter and Boston was down by 14. Hugo Gonzalez made a tip shot inside and Boston was down 82-70 with 10:52 left. Just like that it was a game again.

KAT hit 2 free throws and then a 3 to pull NY back up by 15 at 87-72 — but Boston kept pushing back with drives and free throws by Anfernee Simons and Derrick White.

A Derrick White 3 pulled Boston to within 10 at 91-81 with 6 minutes left and caused a Knick timeout.

Hart Is the Heart Down Stretch

Josh Hart entered the game for the final 6 minutes.

Brunson missed a drive, but Hart grabbed the offensive rebound to give NY a 2nd chance. Miles McBride missed a 3 — but Hart grabbed the offensive rebound again to give NY a 3rd chance — and fed Jalen Brunson for a drive and bucket to put NY up 12 at 93-81.

“Josh Hart doesn’t need his shot to fall to stay engaged and impact the game leading to winning plays that decide games,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines.

OG Pulled with Leg Cramp

The score was 93-83 NY when OG Anunoby was pulled with a leg issue. As all of Knick Twitter watched with worry, a Knick trainer started massaging OG’s leg on the sidelines. It was reported afterwards to simply be a leg cramp; coach Mike Brown said OG could have gone back in but the Knicks preferred to side with caution.

Brunson In Command Down Stretch

Hart airmailed a 3 with 3:17 left — the ball seemingly taken by some sort of wind at Madison Square Garden.

“My legs were cooked lol who got a video of my last 3pt attempt?,” noted and asked Josh Hart afterwards on Twitter/X. NBAonPrime complied in 4K:

On the next time down, however, Miles McBride hit a huge 3 with 2:50 left to put NY up 13.

Jalen Brunson continued to make big bucket after big bucket down the stretch with Josh Hart hauling down big rebound after big rebound.

Boston kept firing back with 3’s by Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, but Brunson responded with a big 3 with 1:24 left to put NY up 104-92 — the final dagger.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401809945

 

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