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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | June 8

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – While your favorite columnist was not able to pack the bags and attend the 2025 NBA Finals, his eyes and all eyes will be on the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers in a series that is bound to go six or seven games.

The Pacers did exactly what they needed to do and that was steal a game at OKC, and they did so in grand fashion. Tyrese Haliburton’s jump shot with only 0.3 seconds remaining was the only time the Pacers led the game as they marked the final score of 111-110.

OKC’s amazing (MVP) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 38 points in defeat.

Now, for some juice: The New York Times published a well written, well-illustrated and well-timed article on one of the NBA’s all-time greats. No, not an all-time great player but a photographer of all-time great players, in Nathaniel S Butler, aka “Nat.”

Recalling a photograph taken after Boston won the 2024 NBA title, Celtics’ star Jayson Tatum said, “He puts the time and the work in. He’s been doing this longer than some of us have been alive, and he’s captured some of the most iconic photos that we all grew up seeing in magazines and online.”

Putting the time and work in might be the understatement of Tatum’s incredible career. The east coast based Butler, along with west coast based Andrew D. Bernstein, became the founding tent poles of a division of the league’s headquarters office – NBA Photos – back in 1985-86.

It was then, under the guidance of NBA Commissioner David Stern, head of NBA Properties, Rick Welts and head of NBA Communications Brian McIntyre, that NBA Photos got the green light. WWYI knows because it was on my watch that we baked the idea for basketball and launched the stock photo agency which was eventually run by NBA Entertainment and then sold to Getty Images, Inc. at a serious profit for the league and its team owners.

Butler’s back story is almost as interesting as his career as a top notch sports (not just basketball) photographer. As a senior at St. John’s University in New York, he became the league’s “Second-ever Intern,” working out of the 645 Fifth Avenue/Olympic Tower HQ in New York City. While his daytime duties included compiling vast amounts of news articles and information for circulation to the NBA execs, the teams and media, his interest in photography quickly surfaced and he was assigned to cover important press conferences and a small but then growing number of games in New York and New Jersey.

While Bernstein was shooting with color strobes on 35mm film at the two venues in Los Angeles (The Fabulous Forum – LA Lakers) and (The LA Sports Arena – LA Clippers), Butler was shooting mostly Black & White action photography to stock the non-existent league archives while supplying NBA Today and hoop with great photography. As the demand grew and NBA Photos was launched, Butler was able to gain more and more access and equipment (better Nikon cameras/lenses and sets of strobes for Madison Square Garden and The Meadowlands). While he assisted Sports Illustrated greats like Walter Iooss Jr., Manny Milan, and John Iacono, and continued to help his father run “Lazy Bones,” a fishing boat business based in Montauk Point, Long Island, Butler photographed more and more NBA basketball.

By 1986, we were able to go full speed ahead with NBA Photos and Butler came on board fulltime. This year now marks 39 straight NBA Finals for the man everyone simply calls “Nat.”

His new “coffee table” book entitled, “Courtside: Forty Years of NBA Photography,” is a must buy.

On it’s landing page on Amazon books, the description reads: “Forty years of stunning basketball photography—both on the court and off—from one of the sport’s greatest chroniclers. This handsome coffee table book is the perfect gift for the basketball fan in your life.

“As one of the NBA’s premier photographers, Nathaniel S Butler has shot it all. From iconic moments like Ray Allen’s corner three for Miami to intimate portraits of Bill Russell of the Celtics and the NBA@50 and NBA@75 teams to Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Steph Curry clinching championships, if it was a history-making basketball moment, Butler was there.”

At a later date, we’ll all do a deeper dive into the details of NBA Photos becoming a major wing of the NBA, NBA Entertainment and as a service to all 30 NBA teams. By the time the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend comes around, we’ll be approaching 40 years for the crew.

NHL Commissioner Gary B. Bettman and Florida’s Aleksander Barkov just last year (Getty Images)

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: If Games 1 and 2 are any indication, the 2025 Stanley Cup Final (note the NHL states Final) (as in a singular event) just might go seven games. The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are tied at 1-game apiece as the series makes the short trip (3,014 miles by car) from Edmonton to South Florida for Game 3. Both of the opening games in Edmonton went into OT, with the Oilers winning Game 1, 4-3, while the Panthers evened it up at 1-1 in games with a 5-4, Double OT thriller on Friday. No matter which teams wins Game 3 (Monday), the fourth game (Thursday, June 12th) will be quite a war. Stay tuned and 2025 will prove the pundits wrong as sports fans head to their TVs to watch great competition in both the NHL and NBA, no matter the size of market nor the origination of the country (Canada).

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: A whole lotta news coming from off days at the NBA Finals. Commissioner Adam Silver was quoted as saying the NBA is considering an international themed NBA All-Star Game for the 2026 game. The serious consideration comes from another couple years of ho-hum competition at the annual starcast while the NHL enjoyed a bump in interest with its 4 Nations event at this past winter’s event. Silver also noted the NBA ASG will be aired by NBC Sports next year and the schedule has the game on a Sunday when morning coverage of the Winter Olympic Games might lead to an open window midday and primetime Olympics viewing that Sunday night. Not a bad idea.

By the way, Silver took some blowback on social media and general coverage with the fact the NBA did not decorate the OKC Thunder basketball floor with NBA Finals decals and other festive, event-markings.

Maybe letting the home team decide what goes where and placing the Thunder and Pacers at centerstage and letting the game of basketball provide the entertainment is actually a great idea by the NBA. Many media members and fans were clamoring over the need for the bigger market teams to play in the NBA Finals, but as Indiana and OKC progressed, the more educated basketball fans eagerly awaited the match-up. The Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton came through in a big way.

THIS JEST IN: Multiple media reports from New York are stating that New York Knickerbockers player exit interviews were at the root of the club’s firing of head coach Tom Thibideau. Seems the season-long rumors of Thibs playing his starters/veterans too many minutes came back to bite him. NY Knicks team owner/governor Jim Dolan and team GM Leon Rose conducted the exit interviews, according to Yahoo. Although Jason Kidd has been rumored for the job, logic points to Mike Malone who was fired by Denver as the 2025 season came to a close. Kidd is currently un der contract with Dallas and has the draft rights to Cooper Flagg in his mitts.

CAN’T MAKE IT UP: Former NFL defensive back Adam “Pacman” Jones is in trouble once again. Pacman was arrested early Saturday morning in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jones, 41, was booked just before 2:00am by a Kenton County, Ohio jail, according to the court records. He was arrested by the Covington Police Department and charged with alcohol intoxication in a public place, disorderly conduct, and assault of a police officer. Jones posted a $10,000 bond and was released around 11:30am Saturday.

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Saturday’s arrest in Covington, which is across the river from Cincinnati, marked the fourth time since 2021 that Jones was arrested. He has now been booked on a public intoxication charge three years in a row.

The recent charges pale in comparison to a 2007 incident during the NBA All-Star weekend in Las Vegas.

In that incident (in which many tried to blame on the NBA gathering), Arvin Kenti Edwards, (then) 32, of Renton, Washington entered a no-contest plea in the case, and was been sentenced by Clark County District Judge Valorie Vega to serve 24 to 60 months for one count of attempted murder and a consecutive term of 24 to 60 months for the use of a deadly weapon. Edwards could have faced as many as 186 years in prison if convicted of all seven felony charges initially filed against him after the shooting.

The charges included three counts of attempted murder, three counts of battery with a deadly weapon causing substantial bodily harm and one count of being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm. According to police, Jones, then a cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals, instigated a melee that led to shootings Feb. 19, 2007, outside the Minxx Gentlemen’s Club and Lounge.

According to the Las Vegas Sun, Jones was “making it rain,” or throwing wads of dollar bills from a large plastic trash bag onto a stage. He then became angry when the strippers picked up the money, and a brawl broke out, police said.

Pacers Stun Thunder in OKC

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OKLAHOMA CITY – Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton hit a 21-foot pull-up jumper in the final second on Thursday as the Indiana Pacers completed a stunning comeback for a 111-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

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The Pacers hadn’t led in the game until Halliburton drained the shot with 0.3 seconds remaining.

The best-of-seven series resumes with Game 2 in Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Indiana trailed by 15 early in the fourth quarter before chipping away at the Thunder’s lead. Andrew Nembhard and Myles Turner each scored eight points in the period.

The Pacers cut the deficit to one with 48.6 seconds remaining on Pascal Siakam’s putback following a missed 3-point attempt by Nembhard.

After Haliburton’s shot, Oklahoma City tried to lob inside, but Siakam batted it away as time expired to end the game.

Indiana outscored the Thunder 35-25 in the fourth quarter.

Oklahoma City forced plenty of turnovers, especially early. However, the Thunder couldn’t take advantage often enough, scoring just 11 points on Indiana’s 25 giveaways. The Pacers turned the ball over 20 times in the first half alone.

Siakam led the Pacers with 19 points and added 10 rebounds. Obi Toppin had 17 points off the bench, Turner scored 15 and Nembhard had 14. Haliburton finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 38 to lead the Thunder, shooting 14 of 30 from the field.

Jalen Williams contributed 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting while Chet Holmgren was just 2 of 9 for six points.

Indiana hit 47.6 percent from the floor to Oklahoma City’s 39.8 percent.

Early in the fourth quarter, Indiana was barely hanging on.

The Pacers, down by 13, missed three consecutive shots on one possession.

After the last of those, the Pacers’ T.J. McConnell was inbounding underneath Indiana’s basket and hurriedly heaved the ball to midcourt.

Instead of a teammate being there to receive the inbounds, Williams raced to the ball, catching it on the run and delivering a thunderous dunk to extend Oklahoma City’s lead to a game-high 15 points. The score was 94-79 with 9:42 remaining.

But Indiana wasn’t about to go away.

The Pacers ripped off a 15-4 run to stay within striking distance, and then they surged ahead late.

Oklahoma City hit just one field goal in the final four minutes, giving the Pacers the opening to come back.

–Field Level Media

Pacers Knock Out Knicks

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Indiana’s Pascal Siakam recorded 31 points and three blocked shots and the Pacers are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000 after notching a 125-108 victory over the visiting New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night.

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Siakam was voted the Eastern Conference finals MVP. Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points, 13 assists and three steals for fourth-seeded Indiana. Obi Toppin added 18 points off the bench and Andrew Nembhard had 14 points and six steals for the Pacers.

Indiana will face the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals. Game 1 is Thursday in Oklahoma City.

OG Anunoby scored 24 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points and 14 rebounds for third-seeded New York. Jalen Brunson had 19 points and seven assists and Mikal Bridges had 15 points for the Knicks.

Indiana had a 25-10 edge on fastbreak points to finish the series with a dominating 106-48 advantage in that category.

The Pacers shot 54.1 percent from the field, including a solid 17 of 33 from 3-point range (51.5 percent). Myles Turner and reserve Thomas Bryant had 11 points apiece and Aaron Nesmith added 10 for the Pacers.

New York made 47.7 percent of its shots and was 9 of 32 (28.1 percent) from behind the arc. Landry Shamet had 12 points on four treys off the bench.

New York trailed by 15 entering the final quarter but a basket by Towns and two in a row by Anunoby pulled the Knicks within 92-83 with 10:15 remaining.

Haliburton then took over as he scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the final stanza.

The Pacers pushed the lead back to 14 on a basket by Nembhard with 8:26 left.

At the Brink-a-bockers

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INDIANAPOLIS – St. Elmo’s will not host the hottest thing in town tonight. The New York Knicks responded with their backs to the wall at Madison Square Garden in New York and now are focused on forcing a Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.

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Suddenly, the Indiana Pacers are the team facing more pressure entering the pivotal and what could be, the decisive Game 6 tonight.

Indiana holds a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. However, clinching a spot in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000 will be a much easier endeavor in front of the home fans. Game 7, if needed, would be in New York.

“We understand what the stakes are,” Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said. “We’re fine. There’s no need to panic or anything.”

The third-seeded Knicks were clearly the better team in Thursday’s 111-94 home victory. New York never trailed, shut down Haliburton, dominated the interior and forced 20 turnovers to deliver a convincing victory.

Jalen Brunson had 32 points, five rebounds and five assists and Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 13 rebounds. Towns thrived while playing with an ailing left knee.

“This team is special,” Towns said. “In this series, we haven’t been able to close out games we wanted to. We’ve had moments of brilliance and (Thursday) we showed the world how special we are.”

New York’s task of evening the series will be much easier if it can once again slow Haliburton, the leader of the fourth-seeded Pacers.

Haliburton delivered a performance for the ages in Game 4 when he had 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds without a turnover, the first time a player achieved a 30-15-10-0 stat line in NBA postseason history. He also made five 3-pointers and had four steals in the 130-121 home triumph.

But Game 5 was a totally different experience for Haliburton. New York hounded him from the outset and mixed its defenders to keep the Indiana star off-balance. Haliburton had just eight points, six assists and two rebounds. He took just seven shots, sinking two.

“As a team, we need to have a level of balance,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “I’ll look at it. There are more things I need to do to help him. I will take responsibility for that and we’ll see where we can improve.”

New York’s Mikal Bridges fueled the defensive charge but had plenty of help.

“Just starting with Mikal, wanting to pick up full court, make anything that (Haliburton) was doing hard,” Knicks backup guard Miles McBride said. “Whether it was denying him, trying to stay into his body or guys being up, just trying to make it hard.”

Meanwhile, the Knicks outscored Indiana 60-34 in the paint in Game 5 as Towns repeatedly drove for baskets. Perhaps more startling was that Indiana’s edge in fastbreak points was limited to 16-15; over the first four games, the Pacers held a whopping 65-23 advantage.

“I’m just happy with the way we responded, honestly,” Brunson said. “We came out and had some energy to the way we played. I’m very proud of what we did, and we have to try to replicate it.”

Brunson made 12 of 18 shots while notching his fourth 30-point outing of the series. He is averaging 33 points in the series. Towns averages 25.4 points and 11.8 rebounds.

For Indiana, Haliburton averages 21 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. Pascal Siakam is also faring well with a 23.6-point average.

Siakam wants to see the Pacers raise their level of play tonight.

“They played harder than us,” Siakam said of Game 5. “It’s OK. We played hard, but they played harder.”

–Field Level Media

 

Lawsuit Filed vs Zion Williamson

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LOS ANGELES – (Wire Service Report) – New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson was accused of rape in a lawsuit filed this week in Los Angeles, the New York Post reported.

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In the suit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, the woman — identified as Jane Doe — alleges Williamson sexually assaulted her twice in 2020.

The plaintiff, who claims to be the NBA forward’s ex-girlfriend, alleges there was a pattern of “abusive, controlling and threatening behavior” toward her that occurred in California, Louisiana and other states.

Williamson, 24, also is accused of threatening to have his security personnel shoot Doe in the head and have her parents killed, according to the report.

“Our client is very adamant about this — it’s not her desire or our desire to litigate this case in the press,” Doe’s attorney, Sam Taylor with the Lanier Law Firm, told the Post on Friday. “It’s a very serious case, as reflected in the allegations. Our client looks forward to her day in court where she can go and explain to a jury what happened to her, the things she endured for this defendant and getting justice.”

Williamson’s representatives did not immediately respond to the newspaper’s request for comment.

As of Friday afternoon, the Pelicans had not commented publicly on the allegations.

Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke, is a two-time All-Star with career averages of 24.7 points, 6.6rebounds and 4.3 assists in 214 games (all starts) with the Pelicans.

–Field Level Media

Can Knicks Comeback?

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Indiana Pacers appeared to have the New York Knicks in deep trouble in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. Yet there was a major problem with the Pacers taking a 20-point home lead and the ensuing belief they were en route to taking a 3-0 series lead.

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That’s because the Knicks are highly comfortable when they trail by a large margin. For the third time this postseason, New York battled back from 20 down on the road to win the game. The latest impressive comeback places them in position to tie the series at 2-2 when the teams play Game 4 on Tuesday night at Indianapolis.

New York’s 106-100 comeback victory was reminiscent of the Eastern Conference semifinals when the Knicks rallied from 20-point deficits in each of the first two games in Boston to earn victories en route to eventually winning the series in six games.

“We saw that we were on the brink of it looking pretty dark for us,” Knicks star Jalen Brunson said Monday. “And the way we responded, I think it brings us closer together.”

It certainly tightened up the best-of-seven series as New York outscored the Pacers 36-20 over the final 12 minutes.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to join Brunson as the only players in franchise history to tally 20 or more in one quarter during a playoff game. Brunson’s record of 21 in a quarter came against the Pacers in Game 1 of last season’s conference semifinals.

“The game wasn’t looking great for me or all of us,” said Towns, who also collected 15 rebounds. “I just wanted to do what it takes to put us in a position to win. It’s a testament to my teammates to have trust in me and putting me in spots where I can succeed and utilize my talents.”

OKC on the Brink of NBA Finals

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MINNEAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished 10 assists as the OKC Thunder escaped with a 128-126 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on Monday night in Minneapolis.

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Jalen Williams added 34 points on 13-for-24 shooting for Oklahoma City, which seized a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Chet Holmgren finished with 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting.

Gilgeous-Alexander sank 5 of 6 free-throw attempts in the final 15 seconds to seal the victory.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 23 points off the bench to lead Minnesota. Jaden McDaniels contributed 22 points, and Donte DiVincenzo finished with 21 points off the bench.

The series will shift back to Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Both teams battled in the final minutes as the Thunder staved off the Timberwolves’ comeback attempt.

 

Pacers Need Two to Advance

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Indiana Pacers stand just two victories away from their first NBA Finals appearance since the Year 2000 behind a pick-your-hero approach. Meanwhile, the New York Knickerbockers stand stunned from two home losses at Madison Square Garden, once the Mecca of basketball.

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Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith were the stars of Game 1, and Pascal Siakam engineered an old-fashioned takeover in Game 2. Now, the Pacers look to put the New York Knicks on life support when the series resumes Sunday tonight in Indianapolis.

Indiana holds a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series after notching two victories in New York. The Pacers recovered from a 14-point hole with under three minutes left in regulation in Game 1 before recording a 138-135 overtime win. Indiana followed up with a 114-109 victory in Game 2.

Jalen Brunson has been carrying the Knicks with outputs of 43 and 36 points. Conversely, the Pacers never know who might step up.

Haliburton had 31 points and 11 assists, and Nesmith had 30 points and hit 8-of-9 3-pointers in the series opener before Siakam carried the load in Game 2 with 39 points on 15-of-23 shooting.

“I think what makes us special as a team is just that we have different weapons and we’re not consumed with who’s going to do what,” Siakam said after achieving his career-best playoff point total. “You just go into the game, and however the game presents itself, that’s how we go and take it and do it our way. And it doesn’t matter who scores.”

“Shout-out to my teammates for finding me and making sure that I stayed aggressive the whole game. It’s going to take all of us to get where we want to get to.”

If the Pacers win on Sunday, they will have the chance to finish the series at home with an unlikely sweep on Tuesday.

Overrated, Huh?

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – In the NBA Playoffs, a series doesn’t really start until the road team wins a game. Last night, the NBA Eastern Conference Finals began with a high-scoring and seriously physical overtime game at a sold out Madison Square Garden. Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points and his teammate, Aaron Nesmith, added 30, helping the visiting Pacers rally for a 138-135 overtime victory against the New York Knicks on Wednesday in Game 1 of the series.

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The third-seeded Knicks squandered a 14-point lead in the final 2:39 of the fourth quarter due in large part to Nesmith’s sharp shooting. Nesmith highlighted an 8-for-9 performance from 3-point range by making five treys during the final 3 1/2 minutes of regulation.

Haliburton appeared to win it following a friendly carom off the rim on an apparent 3-pointer at the buzzer, only for replays to show that his toe was on the line. That made it a 2-pointer and forced overtime.

When he thought the game was over, Haliburton made a choke sign in the direction of the Knicks’ bench, reminiscent of former Pacers star Reggie Miller who was at courtside, calling the game for television.

Andrew Nembhard sank a 3-pointer and two layups in OT, the last lay-in giving Indiana a 136-135 lead with 26.7 seconds to play. An attempted pass to Brunson deflected off his fingers and out of bounds, and former Knick Obi Toppin’s dunk extended the advantage to three with 10.9 seconds left.

The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns misfired on 3-point attempts in the final moments.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Friday night in New York.

Pascal Siakam scored 17 points, Nembhard finished with 15 and Myles Turner added 14 for the fourth-seeded Pacers. Haliburton handed out 11 assists.

Brunson scored 43 points and Towns added 35 to go along with 12 rebounds for the Knicks.

Towns sank 4 of 8 shots from 3-point range, a big improvement after he made just 3 of 19 attempts from beyond the arc during New York’s six-game series victory over the Boston Celtics in the conference semifinals.

Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby each scored 16 points in the loss.

Brunson committed his fifth foul with 10:05 remaining in the fourth quarter and retreated to the bench after T.J. McConnell made a free throw to pull Indiana within 94-92.

New York, however, went on a 14-0 run in Brunson’s absence, with Anunoby draining a 3-pointer and a short jumper to ignite the spurt. The Pacers did themselves no favors by fouling McBride and Towns on 3-point attempts, with the duo combining to make 5 of 6 free throws.

–Field Level Media

No Repeat, Just Surrender

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – No Boston Celtics team has repeated as NBA champions since the great Bill Russell led the immortal Celtics clubs of 1968-69. On sure thing: the 2024-25 Celtics are not immortal, they proved to be human. Human with flaws. Humans subject to injury and fatigue.

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New York’s incredible guard Jalen Brunson and team mainstay OG Anunoby each scored 23 points as the Knicks reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000 by steamrolling the visiting Boston Celtics 119-81 on Friday in Game 6 of their semifinal series at a raucous Madison Square Garden.

Knicks forward Mikal Bridges had 22 points and All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and 12 rebounds for third-seeded New York, which led by as many as 41 points. The Knicks wrapped up the best-of-seven series with the largest winning playoff margin in the OG franchise history.

In doing so, the Knicks proved they just might be championship material, but the upstart Indiana Pacers stand in their way. The Eastern Conference Finals begin Wednesday in New York.

NY’s Josh Hart contributed 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to record New York’s first postseason triple-double since the legendary Walt Frazier accomplished the feat in 1972. Frazier and his teammate, Bill Bradley, were in attendance  for the Game 6 victory.

Defending NBA champion Boston was led by Jaylen Brown, who had 20 points, six rebounds and six assists before fouling out late in the third quarter. The Celtics were again short-handed after losing star Jayson Tatum to a ruptured right Achilles during Game 4 on Monday.

New York shot 46.2 percent from the field, including 16 of 46 (34.8 percent) from 3-point range. The Knicks held a 55-36 rebounding advantage.

Payton Pritchard scored 11 points and Al Horford added 10 for Boston, which shot 36 percent and was 12 of 41 (29.3 percent) from 3-point range.

The score was tied at 16 before the Knicks began pulling away.

New York led 26-20 at the end of the first quarter and then opened the second with a 16-4 surge to open up an 18-point lead midway through the period.

After Boston’s Luke Kornet interrupted the burst with a three-point play, the Knicks rattled off 16 of the next 21 points to take a 58-32 lead on a putback dunk by Miles “Deuce” McBride with 1:31 left.

McBride buried a 3-pointer as time expired in the half for a 64-37 lead at the break. That marked New York’s largest halftime advantage at the break since leading the Los Angeles Lakers 69-42 in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals, won by the Knicks.

The contest was effectively over when Brown fouled out with 2:50 left in the third quarter and Boston down by 33. Anunoby poured it on with consecutive 3-pointers to end a 10-0 push as the margin went above 40 at 92-51 with 1:51 remaining in the third.

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By that time, Knicks fans were taking over the blocks surrounding Madison Square Garden, rejoicing in the fact it’s been a quarter Century since the Knicks advanced to the NBA ECF or NBA Finals (1999 loss to Spurs). It’s been 52 years since the Knicks won an NBA title and Bradley and Frazier are the only remaining starters from that great Knickerbockers team, as center Willis Reed, forward Dave DeBusschere passed away long ago, and shooting guard Dick Barnett just died this month.

Maybe the ghosts of Madison Square Garden have caught up to the famous ghosts of Boston Garden?

Only time will tell.

–Field Level Media