The New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics 112-106 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, improving their position in the Eastern Conference race. The win moved New York to 52-28 and kept pressure on the second-seeded Celtics.
Head coach Mike Brown credited the team’s early-game focus and consistency across quarters. He said, “one of the things that we’ve been harping on and talking about is our starts.”
Brown added that recent progress in that area has been noticeable over multiple games. He stated, “maybe three to four games, we’ve been better in that area.”
The Knicks’ approach to beginning games was a key point of emphasis from the coaching staff. Brown noted, “I have to take my hat off and applaud our guys because they’re trying to lock in and focus on the beginning of games.”
He emphasized that momentum is not defined solely by scorelines. Brown explained, “it’s not about being up 20 or even being down 10 because that can happen. You can still start right no matter what the score is.”
Execution carried into the closing stretch, particularly on defense and spacing. He said, “our fourth quarter defense was pretty good. And our fourth quarter offense in terms of the execution was really good too.”
New York also adjusted effectively against Boston’s defensive matchups. Brown noted, “we feel like we’re pretty good in that area and we feel like we know how to attack it.”
Shot selection from key players played a central role in the win. He added, “if they leave any of our guys open, we want our guys to let that thing fly and Josh did tonight, knocking down big shots.”
Defensive assignments were flexible, with multiple switches used throughout the game. Brown said Josh Hart “guarded everybody,” including Jayson Tatum and several Boston wings.
A late Boston surge tested New York’s composure after a 19-4 run. Brown stated, “we knew they weren’t going to go away,” highlighting the opponent’s playoff experience.
He credited his team’s response during that stretch. Brown said, “we just held steady. We didn’t panic and we just kept trying to chip away at it.”
The Knicks also adjusted defensively after halftime to limit Payton Pritchard’s impact. Brown noted his second-half reduction in production, saying the guard finished with “three of eight and scoring eight points in the second half.”
Brown also pointed to offensive rebounding as a key swing factor. He said Boston’s second-chance opportunities were reduced to “six second chance points” in the second half.
With two games remaining, the Knicks remain locked in a tight battle for seeding. Brown said, “we’re heading in the direction of being where we need to be,” while stressing focus on immediate results.
