The Boston Celtics topped the New York Knicks Friday night at TD Garden, grabbing a 133-123 win behind a loud offensive showcase. This was the first game back for Kristaps Porzingis, who had missed the last four dealing with a calf strain. His return meant the Celtics had their full arsenal of weapons to unleash on the scoring end, something that spelled big trouble for the visiting Knicks.
Boston’s offense was the engine that powered the victory, although things slowed down a bit in what ended up being a chippy fourth quarter. Regardless, each Celtics starter scored 16 or more points, and with the win, the Boston moves to 11-1 on the year when Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown all play. A few defensive lapses and a physical approach by the Knicks team made things closer down the stretch than Celtics fans may have hoped for, but Boston still walked away with a victory.
Let’s jump in and take a closer look at Boston’s 133-123 win over New York Friday night.
PHOTOS: Boston vs. New York – Celtics get mad after Jaylen Brown ejection, beat Knicks 133-123 https://t.co/laaDydRmqf pic.twitter.com/SJKuktp7ea
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) December 9, 2023
Boston's offense
Porzingis made his presence known from the jump, scoring Boston’s first 8 points, and dropping 19 in the first half alone on 7-for-8 shooting from the field. Porzingis ended the game with 21 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals.
Importantly, Porzingis shot 3-for-6 on 3s, which noticeably helped spread the floor for the Celtics offense. When Porzingis plays, there’s a new geography and rhythm to Boston’s scoring. That much was clear Friday night. And as a whole, Boston shot 19-for-47 from deep.
Derrick White may have been the biggest beneficiary. He turned in 30 points on 6-for-10 shooting of his own from 3 land. Likewise, White had 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks on the night, and his production was especially important for helping Boston build a big lead in the second half.
'I’m playing the best basketball of my life.' says Boston's Jaylen Brown https://t.co/ZdwvAa8ic9 pic.twitter.com/QtihJDdB4l
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) December 8, 2023
Boston's defense
On the other end of the court, the Knicks were much more physical than the Celtics. As a whole, they attacked the restricted area with great success, logging 50 points in the paint with 12 offensive rebounds. At the same time, while the Knicks took 10 fewer 3s than the Celtics, New York ultimately went 15-for-37 from deep.
Importantly, the visiting team shot 20-for-27 from the free throw line. In a game that saw Boston’s offense really open up the taps, New York’s ability to slow the game down and earn easy points from the foul line was critical for keeping the game close.
Boston did have their moments on defense. As a team, they registered 5 blocks and 8 steals. Overall, the Knicks were potent enough that the Celtics had to earn a win on both ends of the ball rather than skate to a victory behind hot shooting.
Mike Gorman on Boston's odds of hanging a banner this season https://t.co/qtC0gpOIsZ pic.twitter.com/4Ab7O0f5Ro
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) December 8, 2023
Final thoughts
The next stretch of the schedule should be an exciting one for Celtics fans. In the next ten days, Boston will host both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic twice. These two clubs each have aspirations to make some noise in the postseason this spring. The Magic in particular present an interesting challenge for the Celtics.
From there, Boston hits the road for a quick trip out west. This crescendos with a Christmas Day tilt against LeBron James and the rival Los Angeles Lakers.
Oh, and for anyone wondering, Jaylen Brown scored 17 points on 7-for-13 with 4 assists before an early exit in the fourth quarter.
Sam Cassell on working with Joe Mazzulla, Jayson Tatum, and his unique celebration https://t.co/XFx6aiEpeg pic.twitter.com/DhRGU4FQLT
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) December 8, 2023
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