New York Knicks beat the Celtics and Raptors in consecutive nights: Primed for the postseason

The New York Knicks beat playoff opponents on back-to-back nights. First, they beat the Jaylen Brown-less Boston Celtics 112-106. Next, they took down the Toronto Raptors, 112-95, in a potential first-round preview.

The Knicks kicked off their pair of statement wins with a back-and-forth affair against Boston. The teams traded leads all night, but the Knicks pulled away, thanks to the newfound two-man success of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, with clutch help from Josh Hart. Not even an inhuman shooting night from Celtics’ random role player, Baylor Scheierman, could save Boston from defeat.

It was easier against the Raptors, as the Knicks’ defense was stifling. New York’s jumpers showed signs of tired legs, but it didn’t matter with them dominating inside the arc at both ends of the floor.

The Knicks clinched the third seed and looked playoff-ready in these two wins. Let’s look at the top performers as the playoffs approach.

Vs. BOS: 25 PTS (10/19 FG, 2/7 3PT, 3/4 FT), 10 AST, 1 REB, 1 TO in 37 mins

Vs. TOR: 29 PTS (12/18 FG, 2/5 3PT, 3/3 FT), 2 AST, 3 REB, 2 STL, 3 TO in 31 mins

We’re used to Jalen Brunson scoring at will and making clutch shots. But his clutch passing against Boston was a fun addition. The Celtics spent all their energy focused on Brunson and Towns, who had established an unstoppable two-man game. So, Brunson found Josh Hart for wide-open shots from three and even at the basket for game-winning buckets.

Brunson continued dominating throughout the game against the Raptors. He relied on teammates for most playmaking, capitalizing on his matchup with the smaller Jamal Shead instead. He posted and toasted whenever he got a clean isolation.

Vs. BOS: 16 PTS (6/12 FG, 1/4 3PT, 3/3 FT), 4 AST, 12 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 30 mins

Vs. TOR: 22 PTS (8/12 FG, 1/3 3PT, 5/5 FT), 5 AST, 10 REB, 1 TO in 30 mins

It took a while for Karl-Anthony Towns to get involved against Boston, but once he did, the game opened up for everyone else. He looked unstoppable in the second half and carried that energy into an impressive performance against Toronto.

An interesting development from the Brunson/Towns two-man game is that both players are racking up assists to the other three players on the floor. Teams scramble to contain the two stars, and they both whip dimes around. Towns’ drive and dunk offense was fun, but he had just as many highlights as a playmaker.

Vs. BOS: 10 PTS (4/4 FG, 2/2 3PT), 6 AST, 2 REB in 34 mins

Vs. TOR: 13 PTS (5/10 FG, 2/6 3PT, 1/1 FT), 3 AST, 1 REB, 3 STL, 1 TO in 33 mins

I got mad at Mike Brown for sitting Mikal Bridges too long in the first half against Boston. Bridges got started fast and attacked the paint fast, without losing anything defensively. He played fantastic ball, and his stats don’t reflect how powerful his impact was.

It’s a similar case against Toronto, but Bridges’ offense wasn’t as effective until garbage time. He made up for that with a monstrous defensive performance, including timely plays to choke off the Raptors’ second-half attempts at a comeback.

Vs. BOS: 8 PTS (4/7 FG, 0/1 3PT), 2 AST, 1 REB in 14 mins

Vs. TOR: 10 PTS (4/8 FG, 0/1 3PT, 2/2 FT), 4 AST, 1 REB, 1 TO in 18 mins

It’s incredible how often Jordan Clarkson seems to get the ball late in the shot clock and make something happen, particularly for a fairly low usage player. Clarkson spent both of these games working his way into the middle and finishing floaters or playmaking, with consistent success.

It’s not news, but Clarkson spent the second half of this season showing improved defense and hustle to go with his offensive play. That was the case again in this doubleheader.

Vs. BOS: 26 PTS (10/15 FG, 5/7 3PT, 1/2 FT), 3 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 34 mins

Vs. TOR: 3 PTS (0/2 FG, 0/1 3PT, 3/4 FT), 2 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL, 2 TO in 30 mins

Believe it or not, Josh Hart had a rough first half against Boston. He turned the ball over and got out-hustled to loose balls, for a change. But Hart turned up in the second half, with his most aggressive basketball in weeks. The Celtics left him alone, and he dropped 23 points in the second half, including 15 in the fourth quarter.

I wouldn’t call Hart’s game against Toronto bad. But he got into early foul trouble and was never as involved in the action as he typically is.

Vs. BOS: 13 PTS (4/10 FG, 3/7 3PT, 2/2 FT), 1 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 36 mins

Vs. TOR: 2 PTS (1/4 FG, 0/3 3PT), 3 AST, 5 REB in 15 mins

OG Anunoby was on a tear entering the Boston game. While he didn’t attack as much, he shot the ball well. I’d blame some of his offensive slowdown to a spirited defensive effort that included frequent matchups with Jayson Tatum.

Anunoby twisted his ankle against Toronto, which explains the short minutes. He was off to an impactful game in spite of struggling to get shots to fall. It didn’t look too serious, so hopefully it isn’t.

We’ve finally reached the playoffs. The next game will likely be a rest for the starters, because the Knicks have locked in the three seed. It’s been a long, roller coaster of a season, but New York is as ready as they can be. The East is wide open, and I’m looking forward to witnessing the Knicks chase history.

Since next game has no consequences, there’s no need for a recap. But I’ll be back to discuss all of the action once New York kicks off the playoffs. See you next time, Knicks’ fam!