A REASON TO BELIEVE
NEW YORK—As the final buzzer sounded at Madison Square Garden, the roar inside the arena spilled out into the streets. The New York Knicks had just ended a 25-year drought, advancing to the Eastern Conference finals with a stunning 119-81 rout of the Boston Celtics in Game 6 on Friday night.
The victory was more than a win—it was a statement.
For a franchise long steeped in hopeful chants and frustrating finishes, this moment carried the weight of years.
New York’s balanced attack saw Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each score 23 points, with strong support from Mikal Bridges (22) and Karl-Anthony Towns (21). The Knicks’ 38-point margin marked their largest postseason victory ever.
“This is what we’ve worked for all season, but we’re not done,” Brunson said. “You can feel the energy in this city—it’s electric. But we’ve got another step, and we’re not satisfied yet.”
The Knicks now turn to face the Indiana Pacers as owners of the home-court edge. Game 1 tips off on Wednesday in New York.
Coach Tom Thibodeau praised the team’s discipline but kept eyes firmly on the future.
“It’s a great win. We advance. You look at that, but you also understand you have to get ready for the next series,” he said. “The Pacers are a terrific team and we’re going to have to be ready.”
Street festivities
Outside the Garden, fans flooded the streets, climbing light poles and chanting into the night. Josh Hart, on his way to the postgame presser, showed Mikal Bridges a video of the celebrations.
“I’m new here but just know how much New York loves their sports, especially the Knicks,” Bridges said, grinning. “It’s wild to be part of this. They enjoy it for us right now but obviously we got way more to go.”
While Manhattan erupted in joy, Boston slumped into reflection. The Celtics, who posted 61 regular-season wins and a franchise-best 33 road victories, found their season unraveled by key injuries and missed opportunities.
Their fate was sealed long before the final quarter. With 1:49 left in the third and the Knicks up by 41, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters.
“I thought they gave it everything they had throughout this season,” Mazzulla said. “You can’t take away from what they did. This is the price you pay for chasing something great.”
Boston entered the series without star forward Jayson Tatum after he suffered a ruptured Achilles in Game 4.
“We didn’t have the same team this year that we had last year,” guard Derrick White said. “Every year it’s a different team. We had a goal at the beginning of the year and we fell short.”
Kristaps Porzingis, who struggled with illness and inconsistent minutes, echoed the sentiment.
“It was a tough challenge for me personally,” he said. “Ends on a bitter note like this, but we all have to go home and know that we left everything out here. Then you can sleep at night.”
Now, it’s the Knicks who dream big. With depth, momentum and a city behind them, they’ll look to turn this breakthrough into a championship push.
As Hart summed it up, “The Garden’s rocking. We just gave the city a reason to believe again.”
