A dark night for the Boston Celtics, beaten again by the New York Knicks and on the brink of collapse
Beaten again by the New York Knicks and now on the verge of elimination, the Boston Celtics have lost Jayson Tatum, who suffered a serious leg injury. The Minnesota Timberwolves also took a step closer to the Conference Finals by defeating the Golden State Warriors once again (110-117).
New York Knicks – Boston Celtics: 121-113
New York leads the series 3-1
Whether it was the Knicks or the Celtics, everyone first had a few words or thoughts for Jayson Tatum before commenting on the game once they were seated at the press conference. Because the evening’s result became almost secondary, at least for Boston, when New York secured a convincing victory that brought the franchise closer to its first Conference Finals since 2000. Another victory full of character at the end of a fourth quarter once again dominated by Jalen Brunson and his teammates.
The score took a back seat because Tatum visibly seriously injured his leg just under 3 minutes from the buzzer. He left the game writhing in pain, clutching his Achilles tendon. If the defending champions ever mount a comeback almost unheard of in NBA history—only 13 teams have rebounded from a 1-3 record—they’ll have to do it without their best player, who scored 42 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals in Game 4. He was still on the court when his team collapsed once again. He tied the game at 102-all with a three-pointer. But the Knicks went on an 11-0 run to take final control. Despite the New York team still trailing by more than 10 points in the first half, Tom Thibodeau’s players turned the tide after the locker room. Brunson, as always, set the tone by scoring 39 points and adding 12 assists. Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each added 23 points, and OG Anunoby 20.
Minnesota leads the series 3-1.
The Warriors show their limitations in every game without Stephen Curry. Often on offense. This time on defense. And above all, they seem exhausted playing without their superstar. The Californian franchise held their own for a half on Monday night. A first period in their favor (60-58) before a third quarter in which Minnesota completely dominated Golden State. The Timberwolves went on a 39-17 run in 12 minutes to calmly take control of the game. The final margin was less dramatic because the Warriors’ backups managed to limit the damage in the final minutes.
Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards carried their team offensively, scoring 31 and 30 points respectively. The Warriors had no one to match this star duo. Jimmy Butler, who was very aggressive in Game 3, was much more discreet last night. He finished with 14 points. Only Jonathan Kuminga reached the 20-point mark (23), and Steve Kerr’s players were once again clumsy behind the arc. They are now hoping that Stephen Curry will be back from his hamstring injury and can possibly play in Game 5.
