4 takeaways as Celtics fall to Knicks, fail to clinch No. 2 seed
The Celtics remain one win away from clinching the No. 2 seed in the East playoffs after falling to the Knicks on Thursday.
NEW YORK — The Celtics fell to the Knicks 112-106 on Thursday from Madison Square Garden, failing to clinch the No. 2 seed for the East playoffs. The Knicks had just enough to win Thursday.
The C’s fell to 54-26 on the season while the Knicks improved to 52-28. Boston was also without Jaylen Brown for Thursday’s loss. Both teams were evenly matched through the first half with neither side able to build a huge lead.
The Celtics struggled shooting 3-pointers to open the night, but they kept themselves in the game with second-chance points. The Knicks went up by 13 points in the third quarter, threatening to pull away from the Celtics. But instead, Boston clawed back into the game to force a close finish.
Both teams exchanged blows in a clutch game Thursday with the Knicks coming out on top. Jayson Tatum finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Payton Pritchard added 23 points off the bench.