In that game, they provided further proof that they are the best team in the NBA by overwhelming the Knicks in the second half before winning 116-102, their eighth in a row.
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But they are often reminded by outsiders that this increase doesn't mean much right now. Sometimes they even remind themselves, like Jaylen Brown did after the win.
“When you're in the thick of things, you have to win basketball games regardless of what you bet,” Brown said. “If anything, it puts more pressure on you. But I think we are an experienced team. We’ve been in situations like this before and I think we’re ready.”
Time will tell, but the Celtics make a compelling case. They hold an eight-game lead over the second-place Cavaliers with 25 games remaining. They are on track to win 65 games. They haven't lost more than two games in a row all year.
“As players, we know what we’re doing and we know what the goal is,” center Kristaps Porzingis said.
The Celtics began the third quarter with 9 of 11 3-point shots, helping them to a 64-64 tie and a 20-point lead that was never in much danger after that.
In the final minutes, much of the arena was empty. But the voices of Celtics fans, who were pretty outnumbered to begin with, have been heard.
“We’re really trying to play the right way,” forward Al Horford said. “And I have that feeling [coach Joe Mazzulla] really challenges us to keep getting better. This is a part of the season where we can really take it to a new level. And that’s exactly what we’re trying to achieve.”
Brown made 13 of 24 shots and had 30 points and 8 rebounds. Porzingis added 22 points. The Celtics shot 57.5 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from the 3-point line. Although the Celtics had a solid defensive performance, Brown was frustrated afterward and said he believed they should have held New York to around 88 points instead of 102.
Jayson Tatum kept his lead at 19 points on 7 of 15 shooting, but was the center of Boston's offensive explosion. The Knicks once again overwhelmed Tatum with multiple defenders, and instead of trying to force his way through them, he simply became a leader for his teammates.
His double-team passes almost instantly turned anxious moments into pure advantages for the Celtics, with the Knicks struggling to get back into shape while Boston scattered three-pointers from all angles.
“I thought today was Jayson's beautiful basketball performance that will go unnoticed and not fall into the 'most valuable' category,” Mazzulla said. “But his ability to control the game with his pick-and-roll pace, his pick-and-roll passing and his defense. . . The serenity of greeting the two-on-one group and doing something for others was great. I take my hat off to him because he knew we could win that way and that’s where it all started.”
Although the Celtics had a shooting percentage of 60.1 percent in the opening quarter, the Knicks were able to hold on thanks to their own shooting and took a 30:26 lead in the second quarter.
Midway through the second period, Brown made a tough turnaround, driving up the left baseline, converting a dunk and grabbing a rebound before rushing upfield for a layup, helping the Celtics build a 48-41 lead.
“Just being aggressive, taking advantage of mismatches and just playing basketball,” Brown said. “Have a little fun.”
Boston started the game 17:20 from 2-point range. The Knicks will never win an offensive beauty contest against these Celtics, but they can remain a factor with their fight. In the first half, they had a 9-2 lead on second-chance points.
The Celtics had a chance on their final possession to extend their lead to 8 points by halftime, but Precious Achiuwa blocked Brown's inside attempt with five seconds left and Josh Hart made a layup just before the buzzer, making it 62-58 the break. It may have been a discouraging result for the Celtics after they shot 66.7 percent from the field in the half, but they never lost focus.
The Knicks tied the score at 64 early in the third period and missed three chances to take the lead before Derrick White hit a 3-pointer at the other end to put Boston back in the lead, and that seemed to open the tap .
In the first 6:48 minutes of the third period, all five Celtics starters hit 3-pointers during a 6-on-7 surge. The last one, a clean dart from the left corner by Jrue Holiday, put Boston ahead 84-71.
“The boys know how to influence each other positively,” said Mazzulla. “They understand that if you commit to something at one point in the game, it becomes accessible to someone else later in the game.”
With the Celtics still holding a 13-point lead a few minutes later, Sam Hauser, Porzingis and Tatum hit three straight 3-pointers to put Boston at 9 for 11 in the quarter and give it a commanding 97-77 lead.
The Knicks then got within 99-90 on a bank shot from Bojan Bogdanovic with 9:17 left, forcing a miss at the other end, but it didn't matter. In a frantic, active sequence, the Celtics collected four consecutive offensive rebounds, with Horford scoring his own miss on the final miss. Brown then converted a layup into a steal before Tatum scored inside, silencing the Knicks' mild run.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at [email protected]. follow him @adamhimmelsbach.