Knicks takeaways from Wednesday's 117-109 win over Celtics

The Knicks snap a six-game losing streak and hold on to beat Boston on the road

11/22/2018, 3:17 AM

After a couple of recent close encounters, the Knicks finally managed to close a game out, holding on to defeat the Boston Celtics on the road Wednesday night, 117-109, to snap a six-game losing streak. >> Box score

Things to know about Wednesday's game

1) The Knicks led for the entirety of the game but almost had deja vu from Friday's game vs. the Pelicans. The Knicks saw a 12-point lead with 2:27 remaining evaporate to just a one possession game in the final 30 seconds before they escaped with a much-needed victory. 

2) Trey Burke was the star for the Knicks Wednesday night, scoring a game-high 29 points in 32 minutes off the bench and also chipped in with 11 assists. When the Celtics closed within three points in the final minute, Burke knocked down a critical 3-pointer to put the Knicks up by six with 12.9 seconds remaining in the game. 

3) Emmanuel Mudiay did not quite fill up the stat sheet, but his hustle paid dividends for the Knicks to seal the game. After Jaylen Brown swiped the ball from Tim Hardaway Jr. with 36.7 seconds left, Mudiay raced down the court to stop Brown on a fastbreak drawing a foul. Brown made his first free throw but missed the second, which set up the possession for Burke's clutch three-pointer. On the ensuing possession, Kyrie Irving attempted a 3-pointer but it was Mudiay who delivered a clutch block. 

4) Hardaway Jr. had a rough finish to the game. In addition to his turnover, Hardaway missed a free throw off a technical foul that was assessed to Brown after he stole the ball from Hardaway. Brown made it a three-point game but luckily for Hardaway he missed the second free throw and Burke bailed him out. 

5) Enes Kanter and Noah Vonleh both quietly had double-doubles, with Kanter finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds and Vonleh with 16 points and 10 rebounds. The Knicks also benefitted from the Celtics shooting 71.9 percent from the free throw line. 

Jake Brown | Twitter |

Trey Burke just got a ticket to Dagger City. I was in the building in Boston on Wednesday night, and what a show by Burke in what was clearly the biggest win for the Knicks this season against one of the best teams in the East on the road. 

The Knicks played incredible team defense, forcing the Celtics to shoot just 36% from the field. The big reason: the Knicks were able to separate themselves was their three-point shooting. They were 15 of 30 behind the arc, while the Celtics were just 10 of 33. 

However, after a couple bad turnovers off timeouts, fouls, and bad shots, this was nearly a choke job for the Knicks. With how many losses this team will compile, Knicks fans should feel good to see them play this well against a division foe and the conference favorite. The biggest takeaway, though, was the defense and Burke.

Highlights From Tonight's Game...

What's next:

The Knicks return home to Madison Square Garden on Friday for a matchup with the Pelicans at 7:30 p.m. 

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