Jalen Brunson said the New York Knicks returned to their identity Sunday night after a 111-89 win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden, a result that moved the Eastern Conference contender into a tie for second place at 34-19.
The All-Star guard finished with 31 points and eight assists as New York controlled the game for most of the final three quarters and snapped Boston’s five-game winning streak. “You got to give Detroit credit for how they played,” Brunson said. “We needed to get back to what we do and refocus up. I think we did that today.”
New York’s defense held the Celtics to a season-low 89 points and forced a 7-of-41 night from three-point range, something Brunson connected to collective execution. “We were just connected on defense,” he said. “They can get hot fast… they have a lot of shooters, and I think we’re just we’re connected. We try to make things as difficult as possible.”
Boston shot 37% overall, and Brunson acknowledged the balance between effort and shot variance. “Also a little bit of luck. They missed a couple shots, but we know that… they’re going to be ready next time we play,” he said.
The Knicks closed the third quarter on a 20-7 run to build an 85-68 lead entering the fourth, and Brunson later scored 10 straight points to push the margin beyond 20. Josh Hart added 19 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns posted 11 points and 10 rebounds as New York outscored Boston in transition and limited second-chance looks.
One of the key storylines was the debut stretch of guard Jose Alvarado following the Feb. 5 trade with New Orleans, and Brunson highlighted the newcomer’s immediate impact. “Yeah. He was great,” Brunson said. “The impact he had on the game right away was was amazing. That’s what we needed.”
Brunson also praised rookie Mohamed Diawara, who has earned minutes on a team with playoff expectations. “Playing pickup before preseason… I could see that he was really good and really smart and talented,” he said. “He’s really coachable… this is only the beginning for him.”
Despite the decisive score, Brunson described Boston as a long-term threat in the East after recent trade-deadline changes that included the addition of Nikola Vucevic. “They’re always going to be a dangerous team,” he said. “From the organization top to bottom… they have championship aspirations and they always will year in and year out.”
The victory gave New York a slight edge in the race behind the conference-leading Detroit Pistons, while Boston dropped to third despite strong scoring nights from Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. Brunson emphasized that the result was only one step forward. “We just got to move forward knowing what we need to do as a team going forward regardless of who we play,” he said.
The Knicks host Indiana on Tuesday, and the two Atlantic Division rivals will meet again April 9 in New York.
