Breaking Down Knicks’ Game 4 Win: New York Goes Up, Tatum Goes Down, and Boston’s Season Teeters

Now they’re up 3-1 on the defending champs, and heading back to Boston with a chance to end it.

And suddenly, the Celtics don’t just look vulnerable — they look shaken.

Game 4: Knicks 121, Celtics 113.
Series: (3) Knicks lead (2) Celtics, 3-1.
Game 5: Wednesday in Boston (7 p.m. ET, TNT).

The Vibe

This Knicks team? Built for the moment.

They’ve made no secret about what they believe: Stay in the fight and the fourth quarter will take care of itself. Game 4 was another bullet point in that growing resume.

Down 14 in the first, the Knicks didn’t just survive — they outscored Boston 37-21 in the fourth, pulling away late behind Jalen Brunson’s 39 points and key plays from Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby.

They’re tough, physical, and they execute late. That’s playoff DNA — and it’s got the Celtics on the ropes.

What’s Next

Everything hinges on Jayson Tatum’s right leg.

Tatum dropped 42 points and was arguably the best player on the floor … until he wasn’t on the floor. With three minutes left, he reached for a loose ball, came up grabbing his leg, and never got back up.

Two Celtics staffers had to carry him off. He couldn’t put any weight on the leg.
He later left the arena in a wheelchair.

The early concern is a serious Achilles or ankle injury, and with the Celtics trailing 3-1, that’s the nightmare scenario.

Without Tatum, the Celtics are short on both scoring and identity. Even with him, they haven’t looked dominant.

With him potentially out? The Knicks could be heading to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.

Bottom Line

The Knicks took the Celtics’ best punch, then landed their own.

Now they have a chance to knock out the champs on the road. And if Tatum is done, the Celtics just might be, too.