That just happened, Knicks fans. The New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics in six games, going back to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. The Knicks will now face the Indiana Pacers for the chance to compete for a championship that they haven't gotten their hands on since 1973.
The Knicks controlled the game from start to finish, going into halftime with a 37-point lead and never looking back. Their defense was particularly impressive, after struggling mightily in Game 5, the Knicks held the Celtics to 0.7 points per possession in the first half, their lowest in an opening half all season.
The Celtics' offense was nonexistent, outside of Jaylen Brown, before he fouled out in the third quarter. In the first half, New York held Jrue Holiday, Payton Pritchard, and Derrick White to a combined six points. As a team, the Knicks forced 16 turnovers, just smothering a Celtics' offense that was already without their best player
Mitchell Robinson defended like a madman, sprinting into closeouts, disrupting shots, and adding a steal. He also had this defensive gem of a highlight where he rotated to every Celtic player before getting a steal.
It wasn't just the defense. The Knicks' offense showed up when it needed to, with its most complete effort of the series.
Towns dominates early
Prior to Game 6, I wrote about how the Knicks needed to do a better job optimizing Karl-Anthony Towns' skillset, and that is exactly what they did. The Knicks went with a five-out offense in the first quarter, and their offense thrived as a result.
Karl-Anthony Towns completely took over the game early, in exactly the way that the Knicks needed him to. He finished the first half with 19 points, the most he has had in an opening half in the playoffs. It wasn't just the scoring either, as Towns added six rebounds while playing some of his better rebounding.
His scoring onslaught started in the first quarter, where he had 11 points. The points were critical for the Knicks, as Jalen Brunson struggled to get going early, with only two points in the opening frame of the game. It was just a matter of time for the Knicks' captain, though. He caught fire in the second quarter, going 4-of-4 from the field for nine points.
Pacers will be a real test
The City That Never Sleeps will no doubt spend the next 24 hours celebrating, as they should. This victory has been building for decades. After that, it will be time to turn their attention to the Indiana Pacers.
The Pacers will present different problems than the Celtics did. They play fast and love to get out in transition. Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner are the best pick-and-roll duo in the league, and they have shot-makers all over the floor.
But for tonight, Knicks fans deserve to celebrate, they've been waiting 25 years to do so.