On April 9, 2026, the Knicks beat Boston 112-106 at Madison Square Garden in New York. These Knicks vs Boston Celtics match player stats cover every player who appeared.
Boston entered at 54-25 and held second place in the Eastern Conference. New York entered at 51-28 in third place. A Celtics victory would have secured the No. 2 seed.
Jaylen Brown missed the game with left Achilles tendinitis. Boston still had Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard available.
New York shot efficiently and protected the basketball. The Knicks then won the fourth quarter 31-23. Josh Hart scored 15 points during that final period.
Match Overview
This was the fourth and final regular-season meeting between New York and Boston. New York’s victory completed a 3-1 season-series win and secured the head-to-head tiebreaker.
| Detail | New York Knicks | Boston Celtics |
| Date | April 9, 2026 | April 9, 2026 |
| Venue | Madison Square Garden | Madison Square Garden |
| Competition | NBA regular season | NBA regular season |
| Final score | 112 | 106 |
| Record after game | 52-28 | 54-26 |
Pre-Match Context
Boston entered the game 54-25 and had won four consecutive games. The Celtics occupied second place behind Detroit in the Eastern Conference.
New York entered 51-28 and held third place. The Knicks had also won three consecutive games before Boston arrived.
Boston could have secured the conference’s second seed with a victory. New York needed the result to preserve its opportunity to catch Boston.
Brown’s absence removed Boston’s leading scorer from the lineup. He was averaging 28.8 points per game entering the matchup.
Derrick White was cleared after dealing with a right knee contusion. Sam Hauser was available despite recent lower-back spasms.
Neemias Queta was also cleared after a right toe sprain. New York remained without Tyler Kolek because of an oblique strain.
Tatum returned to Madison Square Garden for his first game there since his 2025 Achilles rupture.
Quarter by Quarter Score
New York trailed after the first quarter but moved ahead before halftime. Boston reclaimed the lead during the third quarter.
The game remained close until New York controlled the closing possessions.
| Quarter | Knicks | Celtics | Margin |
| First | 26 | 29 | Boston +3 |
| Second | 28 | 24 | New York +4 |
| Third | 27 | 30 | Boston +3 |
| Fourth | 31 | 23 | New York +8 |
| Final | 112 | 106 | New York +6 |
Quarter by Quarter Breakdown
First Quarter
New York opened the game with seven unanswered points. Mikal Bridges scored the Knicks’ first seven points during that opening stretch.
Boston answered and tied the game at 7-7. Jordan Walsh completed the tying sequence with a three-pointer.
Payton Pritchard produced 11 first-quarter points for Boston. Jalen Brunson scored 10 for New York.
Boston finished the quarter ahead 29-26.
Second Quarter
New York opened the second with consecutive baskets from Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby. Those scores erased Boston’s remaining first-quarter advantage.
The Knicks outscored Boston 28-24 during the period. New York reached halftime with a 54-53 lead.
The lead changed repeatedly during the quarter. Neither team created a lasting separation before halftime.
Third Quarter
Boston regained control during the third quarter. The Celtics produced separate 9-0 and 10-0 scoring runs during the period.
Boston scored 30 points while New York produced 27. That moved the Celtics ahead 83-81 entering the fourth.
The two-point margin left the game undecided entering the final 12 minutes.
Fourth Quarter
New York outscored Boston 31-23 during the final quarter. Hart supplied 15 of his 26 points during this period.
Hart’s cutting layup put New York ahead 105-104 with 1:51 remaining. Brunson then made a free throw.
Hart made a three-pointer with 42 seconds remaining. Nikola Vucevic answered with a Boston putback.
Hart then made another three-pointer with 15 seconds remaining. That established the final 112-106 score.
New York finished the contest on a 13-5 scoring run.
Team Stats Comparison
New York’s strongest statistical advantages came from shooting efficiency, assists, steals, and paint scoring. Boston controlled the offensive glass and second-chance scoring.
| Team Stat | Knicks | Celtics | Advantage |
| Field goals | 43-80, 53.8% | 38-84, 45.2% | Knicks |
| Three-pointers | 15-35, 42.9% | 16-43, 37.2% | Knicks percentage |
| Free throws | 11-15, 73.3% | 14-16, 87.5% | Celtics |
| Total rebounds | 42 | 48 | Celtics |
| Offensive rebounds | 5 | 13 | Celtics |
| Assists | 29 | 23 | Knicks |
| Player turnovers | 7 | 10 | Knicks |
| Steals | 9 | 4 | Knicks |
| Blocks | 2 | 1 | Knicks |
| Points in paint | 46 | 32 | Knicks |
| Second-chance points | 6 | 18 | Celtics |
| Fast-break points | 9 | 12 | Celtics |
Boston also recorded one team turnover beyond the 10 individual player turnovers.
Key Numbers That Decided the Game
The statistical profile shows how New York overcame Boston’s rebounding and second-chance advantages.
- New York shot 53.8 percent overall, while Boston finished at 45.2 percent.
- The Knicks made 42.9 percent from three, compared with Boston’s 37.2 percent.
- New York recorded 29 assists and seven player turnovers, while Boston produced 23 assists and 10 player turnovers.
- The Knicks outscored Boston 46-32 in the paint despite losing second-chance scoring 18-6.
- New York won the fourth quarter 31-23 and finished the contest with a 13-5 run.
Full Box Score: New York Knicks
New York placed five starters in double figures. Hart led the scoring with 26 points, while Brunson added 25 points and 10 assists.
Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double-double. Bridges finished without a missed field-goal attempt and collected six assists.
Knicks Basic Player Stats
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST |
| OG Anunoby | 36:10 | 13 | 4 | 1 |
| Josh Hart | 34:30 | 26 | 1 | 3 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 30:21 | 16 | 12 | 4 |
| Mikal Bridges | 30:52 | 10 | 2 | 6 |
| Jalen Brunson | 36:52 | 25 | 1 | 10 |
| Landry Shamet | 18:57 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Mitchell Robinson | 18:46 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| Miles McBride | 19:18 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Jordan Clarkson | 14:14 | 8 | 1 | 2 |
Knicks Shooting Splits
| Player | FG | 3PT | FT | +/- |
| OG Anunoby | 4-10 | 3-7 | 2-2 | +3 |
| Josh Hart | 10-15 | 5-7 | 1-2 | +6 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 6-12 | 1-4 | 3-3 | +5 |
| Mikal Bridges | 4-4 | 2-2 | 0-0 | +17 |
| Jalen Brunson | 10-19 | 2-7 | 3-4 | +8 |
| Landry Shamet | 1-4 | 1-3 | 0-0 | -9 |
| Mitchell Robinson | 3-4 | 0-0 | 1-2 | -2 |
| Miles McBride | 1-5 | 1-4 | 1-2 | -2 |
| Jordan Clarkson | 4-7 | 0-1 | 0-0 | +4 |
Knicks Defense and Ball Security
| Player | STL | BLK | TO | PF |
| OG Anunoby | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Josh Hart | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Mikal Bridges | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jalen Brunson | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Landry Shamet | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mitchell Robinson | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Miles McBride | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Clarkson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Full Box Score: Boston Celtics
Boston received 24 points from Tatum and 23 from Pritchard. Baylor Scheierman added 20 points while making six three-pointers.
Tatum also led Boston with 13 rebounds and eight assists. Queta collected 10 rebounds, including six offensive rebounds.
Celtics Basic Player Stats
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST |
| Sam Hauser | 31:29 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| Jayson Tatum | 39:45 | 24 | 13 | 8 |
| Neemias Queta | 24:11 | 10 | 10 | 2 |
| Jordan Walsh | 17:27 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Derrick White | 37:32 | 8 | 3 | 1 |
| Payton Pritchard | 35:30 | 23 | 3 | 6 |
| Baylor Scheierman | 30:21 | 20 | 4 | 0 |
| Nikola Vucevic | 23:45 | 10 | 5 | 2 |
Celtics Shooting Splits
| Player | FG | 3PT | FT | +/- |
| Sam Hauser | 2-7 | 2-6 | 0-0 | +1 |
| Jayson Tatum | 7-22 | 2-10 | 8-10 | -16 |
| Neemias Queta | 4-6 | 0-0 | 2-2 | -7 |
| Jordan Walsh | 2-4 | 1-2 | 0-0 | -9 |
| Derrick White | 2-10 | 0-6 | 4-4 | -3 |
| Payton Pritchard | 10-20 | 3-8 | 0-0 | +4 |
| Baylor Scheierman | 7-8 | 6-7 | 0-0 | -1 |
| Nikola Vucevic | 4-7 | 2-4 | 0-0 | +1 |
Celtics Defense and Ball Security
| Player | STL | BLK | TO | PF |
| Sam Hauser | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jayson Tatum | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Neemias Queta | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Jordan Walsh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Derrick White | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Payton Pritchard | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Baylor Scheierman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Nikola Vucevic | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Game Leaders and Top Performers
Josh Hart
Hart led New York with 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting. He made five of seven three-point attempts.
Fifteen of Hart’s points came during the fourth quarter. His final two three-pointers came during the last minute.
Jalen Brunson
Brunson finished with 25 points and a game-high 10 assists. He made 10 of 19 field-goal attempts.
He committed only one turnover across 36:52. New York finished with 29 assists as a team.
Jayson Tatum
Tatum led Boston with 24 points and 13 rebounds. He also recorded eight assists, one steal, and one block.
Tatum finished 7-of-22 overall and 2-of-10 from three. He committed six turnovers during his 39:45.
Payton Pritchard
Pritchard scored 23 points and supplied six assists from Boston’s bench. He made 10 of his 20 field-goal attempts.
He also scored 11 points during the first quarter. Pritchard finished with Boston’s best plus-minus among its high-minute players.
Baylor Scheierman
Scheierman scored 20 points in 30:21. He converted seven of eight field-goal attempts.
Six of those makes came from three-point range. He finished 6-of-7 from beyond the arc.
| Player | Team | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Josh Hart | Knicks | 26 | 1 | 3 |
| Jalen Brunson | Knicks | 25 | 1 | 10 |
| Jayson Tatum | Celtics | 24 | 13 | 8 |
| Payton Pritchard | Celtics | 23 | 3 | 6 |
| Baylor Scheierman | Celtics | 20 | 4 | 0 |
Starting Lineups
Boston started without Brown, forcing another change to its regular configuration. New York used its established Brunson, Bridges, Hart, Anunoby, and Towns starting group.
| Position | New York Knicks | Boston Celtics |
| Forward | OG Anunoby | Sam Hauser |
| Forward | Josh Hart | Jayson Tatum |
| Center | Karl-Anthony Towns | Neemias Queta |
| Guard | Mikal Bridges | Jordan Walsh |
| Guard | Jalen Brunson | Derrick White |
Injury Report
Brown’s absence carried the largest scoring impact for Boston. He entered the matchup averaging 28.8 points per game.
Boston did receive several players who had carried injury designations before tipoff. White, Hauser, and Queta were all available.
Kolek remained unavailable for New York because of a right oblique strain.
| Player | Injury | Status |
| Jaylen Brown | Left Achilles tendinitis | Out |
| Derrick White | Right knee contusion | Available |
| Sam Hauser | Lower-back spasms | Available |
| Neemias Queta | Right toe sprain | Available |
| Tyler Kolek | Right oblique strain | Out |
New York also listed Trey Jemison III and Dillon Jones as inactive because of G League assignments.
Season Series and Head to Head
New York won three of four regular-season meetings during 2025-26. That reversed Boston’s 4-0 regular-season sweep from the previous campaign.
2025-26 Regular-Season Meetings
The Knicks won twice at Madison Square Garden and once at TD Garden. Boston’s only series victory came on December 2.
| Date | Venue | Result | Series |
| Oct. 24, 2025 | Madison Square Garden | Knicks 105-95 | NYK 1-0 |
| Dec. 2, 2025 | TD Garden | Celtics 123-117 | 1-1 |
| Feb. 8, 2026 | TD Garden | Knicks 111-89 | NYK 2-1 |
| Apr. 9, 2026 | Madison Square Garden | Knicks 112-106 | NYK 3-1 |
2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals
The rivalry also carried recent postseason history into this season. New York eliminated Boston 4-2 during the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals.
| Game | Venue | Result | Series |
| Game 1 | TD Garden | Knicks 108-105 OT | NYK 1-0 |
| Game 2 | TD Garden | Knicks 91-90 | NYK 2-0 |
| Game 3 | Madison Square Garden | Celtics 115-93 | NYK 2-1 |
| Game 4 | Madison Square Garden | Knicks 121-113 | NYK 3-1 |
| Game 5 | TD Garden | Celtics 127-102 | NYK 3-2 |
| Game 6 | Madison Square Garden | Knicks 119-81 | NYK 4-2 |
Conference Standings
Boston remained second after the defeat, while New York stayed third. Both teams had two regular-season games remaining.
New York also held the season-series tiebreaker after winning three of four meetings.
| East Position | Team | Record | Games Remaining |
| 2 | Boston Celtics | 54-26 | 2 |
| 3 | New York Knicks | 52-28 | 2 |
The result delayed Boston’s chance to clinch second place. New York remained mathematically capable of catching the Celtics.
Broadcast and Stream Information
The game tipped at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time from Madison Square Garden. National streaming and New York regional coverage were both available.
| Platform | Coverage |
| Prime Video | National streaming |
| MSG Networks | New York regional television |
| 880 ESPN New York | Knicks radio |
| Tip time | 7:30 p.m. ET |
Conclusion
The April 9 result prevented Boston from securing second place that night. It also preserved New York’s remaining seeding opportunity.
New York’s shooting efficiency and ball security supported its fourth-quarter finish. Boston’s offensive rebounding did not produce enough separation.
Boston next returned home to face New Orleans. New York remained at Madison Square Garden to face Toronto.
Boston secured the No. 2 seed the following night against New Orleans. New York also secured third place after beating Toronto.
For more match updates, read: Pacers vs Knicks Match Player Stats
FAQ
Who won the Knicks vs Boston Celtics game on April 9, 2026?
The New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics 112-106 at Madison Square Garden, improving their record to 52-28 with two games remaining.
What were Jayson Tatum’s stats against the Knicks?
Jayson Tatum recorded 24 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and one block while shooting 7-of-22 from the field.
How many points did Josh Hart score against Boston?
Josh Hart scored a game-high 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting. He scored 15 points during New York’s 31-point fourth quarter.
Who had the most assists in Knicks vs Celtics?
Jalen Brunson led all players with 10 assists. He also scored 25 points and committed one turnover across nearly 37 minutes.
What was the Knicks vs Celtics quarter-by-quarter score?
Boston led 29-26 after one quarter. New York led 54-53 at halftime, Boston led 83-81 after three, and New York won 112-106.
Which important players missed the Knicks vs Celtics game?
Jaylen Brown missed the game with left Achilles tendinitis. Knicks guard Tyler Kolek was also unavailable because of a right oblique strain.
Where was Knicks vs Celtics available to watch?
The game was available through Prime Video and MSG Networks. New York radio coverage was available through 880 ESPN New York.
