Knicks are back in East finals after 25 years

THE New York Knicks waited for a quarter-century before getting another shot at the Eastern Conference Finals of the National Basketball Association.

The Knicks are back in the conference finals, ending the Boston Celtics’ title defense in emphatic fashion with a 119-81 blowout in Game 6 on Saturday, May 17, 2025 (PH time)

The win also marked the Knicks’ largest postseason margin of victory ever — a staggering 38 points.

Despite the milestone, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks aren’t celebrating just yet — at least not officially.

While the team views their trip to the Eastern Conference Finals as another step in a longer journey, the electrified fans at Madison Square Garden and the streets surrounding it had a different reaction.

On their way to the postgame press conference, Josh Hart shared a video with teammate Mikal Bridges showing a fan climbing a light pole in celebration.

“I’m new here,” Bridges said, “but I know how much New York loves their sports — especially the Knicks. We’re excited to be a part of it, but we know there’s more to accomplish.”

Brunson and OG Anunoby each put up 23 points, while Bridges added 22 and Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with 21. Hart notched a triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.

New York will now face the Indiana Pacers, the same team they battled in their last conference finals back in 2000. Game 1 tips off Thursday (PH time) at Madison Square Garden.

“It’s a great win and we advance, but the focus shifts quickly,” said head coach Tom Thibodeau. “Indiana is a strong team, and we have to be ready.”

The Celtics, already reeling from the loss of star Jayson Tatum to an Achilles injury in Game 4, simply couldn’t recover. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 20 points, but the deficit ballooned early and forced coach Joe Mazzulla to bench his starters in the third quarter as the Knicks pulled away.

“We weren’t the same team as last year,” said Derrick White. “We had a goal and we didn’t meet it.”

A raucous crowd at the Garden watched the Knicks storm to a 64-37 halftime lead — a 27-point margin, tying a franchise playoff record for the shot-clock era. One of the game’s defining moments came when 6-foot-1 guard Deuce McBride chased down and blocked White’s shot, sparking a momentum-shifting run.

The Knicks led 64-37 at halftime, a 27-point lead that matched their biggest in a playoff game in the shot-clock era. They led the Lakers 69-42 in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, when Willis Reed’s return from injury sparked the Knicks to their first NBA title. / RSC