The New York Knicks took a commanding 3-1 series lead with a 121-113 victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday night (May 12). With just one win away to clinch the series, the Knicks could be headed to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years.

Jalen Brunson, the winner of the 2025 Clutch Player of the Year Award, gave a remarkable performance at Madison Square Garden. Although the Celtics had an 11-point advantage at halftime, Bronson went to work with a scoring barrage in the third quarter that led the Knicks on another second-half comeback.

In total, Brunson poured in 39 points and handed out 12 assists in the win, with 26 of his points coming in the second half. Putting up 102 fourth-quarter points in the first 10 games of this playoffs, Bronson has passed Kobe Bryant for the most points to start a postseason since 1997.

While the win and his statline were impressive, Brunson cautioned his team and the Knicks fan base that there is still much work to be done.

“I was actually telling everyone to get off the court. I was like, it's nothing to celebrate," Brunson told ESPN’s Lisa Salters in a post-game interview.

He also expressed gratitude to his teammates who made big contributions to the victory.

"The way we responded is what I'm most proud of. Sticking together. Most of all, not quitting," he said.

In addition to Brunson, three other Knicks players scored at least 20 points. Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges each had 23, and OG Anunoby chipped in with 20.

For the Celtics, they lost the game and possibly their All-NBA forward, Jayson Tatum, to a devastating non-contact lower leg injury. 

As the fourth quarter was coming to a close, Tatum fell and was seen on the floor screaming in pain and had to be helped to the locker room. Eventually, he was put in a wheelchair. 

Before his injury, Tatum was having one of the best games of his playoff career, scoring 42 points and dropping 7 three-pointers.

Following the game, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum will undergo an MRI on Tuesday (May 13).

"I talked to the medical staff, they told me it's a lower body injury and he'll get an MRI [Tuesday]," Mazzulla said in the post-game press conference. “We'll see where it goes from there."

There is still no official word on the severity of the injury.

With the next game scheduled for Wednesday at 7:00 PM, the Knicks are looking to close out the series and await the winner of the Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers.