NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks had simply taken management of the sport with one other fourth-quarter kick when Jayson Tatum fell to the courtroom with a doubtlessly extreme proper leg harm.
The specifics of Tatum’s harm are unsure however the scenario within the Japanese Convention semifinals is obvious.
The Knicks want yet another victory to achieve the convention finals for the primary time in 25 years. The Celtics have to match the largest comeback in NBA historical past to increase their title reign.
Brunson had 39 factors and 12 assists, and the Knicks pushed the defending champions to the brink of elimination with a 121-113 victory Monday night time in Recreation 4.
Blown out in Recreation 3, the Knicks dominated the second half to change into the primary residence crew to win on this collection.
“I believe it was a way of urgency, desperation, simply understanding that we’ve got an awesome alternative,” Brunson mentioned.
The Celtics should make the NBA’s 14th comeback from a 3-1 deficit and should must do it with out Tatum, who was carried off the courtroom with a proper leg harm with 2:58 left.
Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Cities every added 23 factors and OG Anunoby bounced again from two poor performances by scoring 20 for the Knicks, who can win the collection Wednesday night time at Boston. If not, they might come again to Madison Sq. Backyard to attempt to do it Friday night time.
“We’ve to show that web page shortly and do our first job, which is win on Wednesday. That’s the mindset,” Celtics veteran Al Horford mentioned. “As a bunch, we simply must rally collectively as a result of clearly we’ve misplaced our chief, the man that will get us going.”
Tatum scored 42 factors, his excessive in these playoffs, earlier than he was harm when the Celtics turned the ball over and his leg gave out as he tried to lunge ahead towards the free ball.
No one has come from 3-1 down since Denver did it twice in 2020 on the Walt Disney World resort. It hasn’t occurred when a crew needed to win a real street sport since Cleveland rallied previous Golden State within the 2016 NBA Finals.
After main by not less than 20 factors within the first three video games — however blowing the primary two of them in Boston — the Celtics had one other double-digit lead lower than 5 minutes into this sport and had been up 62-51 at halftime.
Brunson then scored 18 in a determined third quarter, when the Knicks performed their starters the complete method and outscored the Celtics 37-23 to arrange an exhilarating last interval.
“Simply hold combating,” Bridges mentioned. “We had been down method worse earlier than.”
Tatum’s three-point play tied it for the ultimate time at 102-all earlier than Anunoby hit a 3-pointer and the Knicks later put it away for good with an 11-0 burst that made it 116-104.
Derrick White made six 3-pointers and scored 23 factors for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown had 20.
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