NBA: Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson help Knicks rally past Celtics in OT
Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks and Jalen Brunson #11 celebrate during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on January 26, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Knicks defeat the Celtics 120-117 in overtime. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP
Julius Randle scored 37 points and Jalen Brunson added 29 as the New York Knicks came back for a 120-117 overtime win over the host Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
Randle and R.J. Barrett each hit 3-pointers to flip the score after the Celtics opened overtime on a 5-0 run.
Article continues after this advertisementBrunson added four rebounds, seven assists and two blocks, rejecting Malcolm Brogdon’s potential game-tying 3 at the buzzer.
37 PTS
9 REB
5 3PMJulius Randle powered the @nyknicks to the #NBARivalsWeek overtime win 💪 pic.twitter.com/h3MQkZIKzu
— NBA (@NBA) January 27, 2023
Jericho Sims grabbed 14 rebounds for New York, which has won back-to-back games after making three more shots in four fewer attempts than the hosts.
Article continues after this advertisementOn Thursday, Derrick White’s 3-pointer sparked Boston’s opening run in extra time, but Randle and Barrett hit back-to-back threes to give New York a 116-115 lead with 29.1 seconds left.
Jaylen Brown drove for a go-ahead layup on the following possession before the New York duo won the game at the free throw line. Brown missed a pair of foul shots that could have given Boston a lead in the final 10 seconds.
Jayson Tatum had 35 points and 14 rebounds while Brown added 22 points in Boston’s third straight loss.
New York opened the fourth on an 11-4 run and led 104-92 following Brunson’s jumper with 6:45 left, but Tatum later made three straight buckets to slice the deficit to six.
Boston finished regulation on a 16-4 run as Brogdon canned a running triple with 1:58 left and Tatum tied the game at 110 with a driving layup in the closing minute.
The first half featured a pair of ties and 12 lead changes. Five players helped Boston start 6 of 12 from downtown and build a 34-26 advantage after the opening quarter. Boston’s lead reached 15 after Tatum’s floater and White’s triple halfway through the period.
After New York’s 9-0 run to start the second, Hauser and Williams hit consecutive 3-pointers to lift the Celtics, who had a four-point lead less than a minute later.
Horford’s corner 3 and Brogdon’s driving layup gave Boston a 51-47 lead, though five points by Immanuel Quickley put New York up at 2:45. Two putbacks by Brown helped the Celtics flip the score and take a 60-58 advantage into halftime.
New York also opened the second half on a 9-2 run.
Randle (14) and Brunson (13) combined for 27 of the Knicks’ 33 third-quarter points. They posted a slam dunk and mid-range jumper on back-to-back possessions to establish a nine-point lead with 2:40 left.
