Knicks pull off a big win over Celtics to move within one win of conference finals

The New York Knicks cruised to a 121-113 victory over the defending champion Boston Celtics on Monday to increase their lead to 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in a game in which Jalen Brunson finished with 39 points while Jayson Tatum went out with an injury.

With 2:58 to play in the game, Jayson Tatum went in for a loose ball and immediately went to the floor with signs of pain in his right leg.

After receiving assistance on the court Tatum left, unable to put weight on his right foot, and the television broadcast showed him en route to the tunnel in a wheelchair and with his hands on his face.

Coach Joe Mazzulla said in the post-game press conference that he did not have any additional details on the injury. "He's going to have an MRI tomorrw. He's with the doctors right now."

"We're concerned about his health and where he's at, and then we're concerned about what we have to do better in Game 5 when we head back to Boston."

"He'll get the MRI tomorrow and we'll see what it is," the coach added.

The Celtics were unable to recover from seeing their top star leave the game and ended up losing a game they led by as many as 14 points.

Tatum, 27, left the game with 42 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, on 44% shooting from the 3-point line, hitting 7 of his 16 attempts.

Brunson with the key

For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson led another comeback in this series, recording a double-double of 39 points and 12 assists.

"He's a calm player under pressure," said head coach Tom Thibodeau. "He's always confident because of his preparation, there's no moment that's too big for him."

"He had a great read of the game, he knew we had to be aggressive and that was exactly what the team needed."

Brunson shot 9 of the Knicks' 12 occasions total free throws in the game. Only Josh Hart (2) and Dominican Karl-Anthony Towns (1) added to the list.

The Knicks managed to combine their defensive fortitude with offensive power in the second half, scoring 70 points to lead the way to one of the most significant victories of the season.

In all three of their series wins, the Knicks had to rally from at least a 10-point deficit.

Game 5 of the series will be played on Wednesday at TD Garden in Boston, where the Celtics must win to stay in contention. A victory in any of the next three games will be enough for the Knicks to clinch a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The last time the Knicks played in the Eastern Conference Finals was in the 1999-00 season, when they lost 4-2 to the Indiana Pacers.