Celtics Dominate Knicks In Game 3 Victory In Front Of Star-Filled Madison Square Garden Crowd

Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum reacts after shooting a 3-point basket during the first half of Game 3 ... More of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
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When New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson made a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter Saturday, the star-filled crowd at Madison Square Garden that had been quieted for much of the afternoon suddenly erupted. Most fans had paid hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, for their tickets, and they didn’t want to leave disappointed. Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla then called a timeout. The Celtics led by 20 points, but Mazzulla wasn’t going to take any chances. He knew what the Knicks were capable of in their Eastern Conference semifinals series.
This time, the Knicks couldn’t get any closer, as the Celtics won 115-93 to cut their series deficit to two games to one. This was not a repeat of the first two games when the Celtics blew consecutive 20-point second half leads, losing Game 1 by three points in overtime and Game 2 by one point, with Knicks wing Mikal Bridges making the game-clinching steal both times.
Instead, Boston’s performance was reminiscent of the regular season when the Celtics won all four games against the Knicks and finished second in the conference with a 61-21 record, including a league- and franchise-best 33-8 on the road.
Asked if the past 72 hours since the Game 2 loss had been difficult, Mazzulla didn’t hesitate.
“No,” he said. “Not at all.”
He added: “We’re on a path of trying to go after greatness and you don’t get to dictate the test that’s in front of you. All you’ve got to dictate is how you approach it and how you respond to it. If you plan on doing this for a long time, trust me – it would be a lot worse than those last 72 hours. That’s the perspective you have to is the fun part. You don’t get into the journey for it to be easy. It’s been dark, but in a good way.”