“Fourth quarter, everybody take a deep breath,” he said. “Do your job, that’s it. Don’t think about nothing else. And come out and have fun.”
Get Starting Point
This time, the Celtics regrouped and emerged with a gritty 123-117 win. No, the stakes were not as high as they were in May, but it was still a notable result for a team that appears to be finding its way without injured superstar Jayson Tatum.
Over the past 10 days, the Celtics have wins against the Pistons, Magic, Cavaliers, and Knicks, four teams that could occupy the top half of the Eastern Conference standings when this season ends.
“If you go back to preseason, before the season, we’re in a much different space now,” Brown said. “You can see the difference if you go back and look at some of those early games in the season. It’s only been 20 games, and there’s been a huge amount of growth from a lot of guys.”
The Knick’s Josh Hart can only watch as Jaylen Brown drives to the hoop during his 18-point second quarter.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
Although Brown is an All-Star and former NBA Finals MVP, his own growth has been as apparent as anyone’s. Against New York he poured in a game-high 42 points on 16-of-24 shooting, and when the Knicks sent double teams his way down the stretch, he calmly and willingly found the open man rather than feeling like it was his responsibility to score no matter what.
The Celtics star is now averaging a career-high 29 points on 49.9 percent shooting.
He said that early Tuesday he could tell by the way the ball was hitting his hands that he could be set up for a big night. Then he committed three turnovers in the opening quarter to build some doubt.
“I just told myself, ‘I’m going to just slow it down a little bit,’ ” Brown said, “and it was off to the races after that.”
Derrick White added 22 points. Jordan Walsh had 6 points, 4 rebounds and an assist in the fourth quarter alone for Boston, which shot 56.3 percent from the field and made 33 of 47 2-pointers (70.2 percent).
Rookie Hugo Gonzalez’s modest stat line — 4 points, 5 rebounds — belied his impact. He checked in to start the second quarter with Boston trailing, 32-21, and he did not sit down again until halftime.
Serving as the Celtics’ hired pest, he alternated between bothering Knicks 7-footer Karl-Anthony Towns and point guard Jalen Brunson, two players whose physiques and play styles could hardly be more different. By the end of the quarter, the Celtics had a 58-52 lead that they’d never relinquish.
Gonzalez was similarly impactful in Boston’s opening-night loss to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, but when he was asked about that performance that night, he brushed off the praise and said it meant nothing after a loss.
On Tuesday, he could take at least a few minutes to appreciate the effort.
“It obviously feels better to win, but I think that today was a great day to show that we’re a really serious team, that we want to play defense as a team,” Gonzalez said. “And today was a day that proves it. I think everybody took a step on that front.”
Mikal Bridges scored 35 points to lead the Knicks and Towns added 29. But Brunson was just 6 for 21 from the field for 15 points.
The Celtics led by 18 with 11 minutes left. But the Knicks needed just one minute to slice that deficit in half with a 9-0 burst that was highlighted by a Jordan Clarkson 4-point play.
The Celtics called timeout and steadied themselves with a Sam Hauser 3-pointer that was followed by an Anfernee Simons three-point play. But the resistance was fleeting.
This time, the Knicks uncorked another 9-0 flurry in just 44 seconds. Gonzalez was whistled for a flagrant foul when he hit Bridges on a 3-pointer. Bridges hit all three free throws and the Knicks capitalized on the extra possession with a Towns three-point play on a putback. Then with 6:29 left Bridges hit another 3, pulling New York within 102-99.
“Some of it was self-inflicted,” Mazzulla said. “We gave up almost 15 points on and-ones and flagrant fouls. So that’s controllable. When stuff like that happens, we know we can just get back to the basics, get back to the discipline.”
Josh Minott hit a 3-pointer, and Walsh converted consecutive putbacks to push the lead back to 109-101. After the Knicks pulled within 113-110 on a Bridges 3-pointer with 2:40 to play, Walsh attacked a baseline close-out and converted a tough layup.
The Celtics’ Josh Minott celebrates a 3-pointer in the second quarter. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
The Knicks made a final push, getting a basket and a 3-pointer by Bridges to make it 119-115 with 44.2 seconds left. After a Brown turnover, though, Bridges missed a 3-pointer that could have brought the Knicks within 1. Walsh then put his final imprint on the game by winning a key jump ball.
“Finding moments where you can affect the game in ways other people won’t expect or aren’t ready for is I think what makes the difference most times,” Walsh said
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.
