New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Knicks set unique record with blowout win over Celtics

By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated May 17, 2025 10:34 AM ET

The New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics on Friday night to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. With the win, they set a unique record.

The Knicks dominated the Celtics 119-81 in a Game 6 that was never close. Boston extended the series with a blowout win in Game 5, but the Knicks avoided a potential disaster by getting the job done in front of their home crowd at Madison Square Garden on Friday.

The 38-point margin of victory was also the largest in NBA history in a clinching game against a defending NBA champion.

Biggest blowout of a reigning NBA Champ in an elimination game in NBA History. pic.twitter.com/ACdm2emlGB
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) May 17, 2025

Most people viewed the Knicks winning the series as a foregone conclusion after Jayson Tatum suffered a devastating injury in Game 5. Still, the last thing Tom Thibodeau's team wanted was to go back to Boston for Game 7, which is why New York played with a sense of urgency on Friday night.

The Knicks have ended a massive drought for their franchise by advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. They will now face another tough opponent in the Indiana Pacers.

Steve DelVecchio

Steve is a veteran writer who has covered a variety of sports and pop culture topics for more than 15 years. In addition to Yardbarker, his work has been featured on prominent digital publications including Larry Brown Sports, MSN and FOX Sports. The UConn graduate has published more than 40,000 stories and is one of the most experienced trending news writers in the country

More must-reads: