Knicks’ ability to win close games gives hope for potential playoff matchup vs. Celtics

MIAMI — If the Knicks can keep it close, they hold the advantage because of their point guard.

And that’s also true, most significantly, against the Celtics.

With Jalen Brunson performing biweekly renditions of Captain Clutch, the Knicks have transformed into the league’s top team in the most pressurized situations.

The NBA defines “clutch time” as the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within five points.

The Knicks are elite in that category, though not quite the best because of Cleveland.

But if you dive deeper into the pressure, New York is unmatched.

When the result is truly on the line — when there are two minutes or fewer remaining and the score is within two points — the Knicks win 80 percent of the time (12-3) while shooting a ridiculous 63 percent from the field and 56 percent on 3-pointers.

No other team is close.

The Celtics, for instance, are 8-9 in those games while shooting 41 percent from the field and 32 percent on 3s.

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Jalen Brunson celebrates after a Knicks’ 3-point basket during the fourth quarter of their 114-113 win over the Grizzlies on Feb. 28, 2025.

They remain the favorite to win the championship with the most complete starting five, but, if there’s a reason to criticize Boston during its five-year stretch of dominance, it’s melting in the clutch.

That wasn’t relevant last year as the Celtics steamrolled through the postseason, but we saw collapses against the Heat in 2023 and the Warriors in 2022 as the offense devolved into iso ball with Jayson Tatum chucking.

Friday night felt like a window into the Knicks’ best hope if they face Boston in the second round.

In Memphis, Brunson was again navigating winning time with the chill of a poolside mojito. He buried a go-ahead trey with 24 seconds left and fed OG Anunoby for the winner about five seconds before the buzzer.

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OG Anunoby celebrates after hitting the game-winning 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the Knicks’ 114-113 win over the Grizzlies on March 1, 2025

It was the latest display of confidence from the Clutch Player of the Year frontrunner.

“We just know if we’re in a close game, he’s one of the few guys in the league where you just make sure it’s close, and then let him go to work,” Josh Hart said.

Simultaneously in Boston, the Celtics were collapsing after taking a 25-3 lead against Cavaliers.

They managed just 16 points in the fourth quarter of the 123-116 defeat, with Tatum scoring 46 overall but just six in the final period.

In a series between the Knicks and Celtics — which is the projected second round — Tatum is the best player.

But in the final two minutes of each game, Brunson is the top choice to carry the winner.

The clutch gene, as Brunson explained recently, was pᴀssed down from his mother, Sandra, who always kept the point guard focused on the most important picture while his father pushed toward basketball greatness.