Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks couldn’t get a win against the defending champions, Boston Celtics, on Tuesday. They had a 119-117 overtime defeat despite a double-double from Brunson. The All-Star point guard finished with 27 points and 10 assists on 41.7 percent shooting from deep.
His co-star, Karl-Anthony Towns, contributed 34 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks. However, his efforts weren’t enough against the tough Celtics squad. Forward Josh Hart also had a great game with 10 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. However, he was fouled out after playing 47 minutes.
When asked about the biggest takeaway from their loss, Brunson couldn’t help but express his disappointment in the team’s performance.
“There’s a lot of things we can take positive in this game and there’s some negative things we can take from it,” Brunson said. “I think it’s every game, not just this game in particular. It’s a little disappointing, just knowing that we fought back and had a chance.
"It's a little disappointing, just knowing that we fought back and had a chance."
Jalen Brunson talks about what the Knicks can take away from tonight's game: pic.twitter.com/gWSOv1Itel
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 9, 2025
Brunson also gave feedback on the New York Knicks’ performance during the overtime period.
“Obviously, shots not falling and KP hitting up his shot,” he added. “We’ve just got to execute better, it’s simple as that. We shouldn’t be in that position anyway, to be in overtime.”
During the overtime period, the Knicks couldn’t stop Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis. The Latvian center had five points during the final five minutes of the game. Overall, he finished with 34 points on a 57.9 percent shooting clip.
His All-Star teammate, Jayson Tatum, had 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
New York Knicks All-Star center and head coach had reflections on their loss against the Celtics
A lot of things went right for the New York Knicks on Tuesday. However, they couldn’t get over the hump and lost a crucial game against one of the favorite teams to win the title. Following the loss, Towns talked about what the team can take away from their bout.
“It’s about getting the win and we just didn’t do that tonight,” KAT told reporters.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau also addressed the same question about the Celtics.
“They’re the defending champion. Until someone proves they can beat them, they’re defending their championship. We know that there’s a lot of work for us to do. We’re still working through things. I thought Jalen gave us really good minutes. That’s a big plus. Each game we’ll get better and better.”
"They're the defending champion. Until someone proves they can beat them, they're defending their championship. We know that there's a lot of work for us to do."
Tom Thibodeau talks about what he takes away from tonight's loss to the Celtics: pic.twitter.com/5xrRjL16Rk
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 9, 2025
Thibs added that with the postseason approaching, there’s an urgency for the team to perform better. The New York Knicks have three games left in their campaign before the season ends. Right now, they’re in an ideal spot in the Eastern Conference standings as the third-placed team with a 50-29 record.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
