BREAKING: Celtics’ Jayson Tatum makes history while flaming Knicks in blowout win
Celtics star Jayson Tatum made history while crushing the Knicks in New York City.
Before Saturday night, the top-10 spots on the Boston Celtics’ all-time scoring list hadn’t changed in 12 years. It’s hard to crack such a legendary list featuring 10 Hall of Famers, all with at least one NBA championship to their name. However, Celtics star Jayson Tatum managed to surpass two all-time scorers in one game during a 131-104 blowout win over the New York Knicks.
The reigning champion dropped 40 points at Madison Square Garden, which was just three away from tying his season-high output of 43. The six-time All-Star is now ninth on the Green Team’s all-time scoring list after moving past fellow St. Louis native Jo Jo White and 1973 league MVP Dave Cowens.
Tatum, who’s tallied 13,193 points in his career, has a lot of work to do to reach eighth place, as 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell towers in front of him with 14,522 points. History chasing aside, the 26-year-old can relish in the fact that his second-place C’s dismantled the third-place Knicks, putting Boston 1.5 games ahead of its Eastern Conference foe.
How did the Celtics embarrass the Knicks in New York?
Prior to squaring off with the Celtics, the Knicks had won seven of their last eight games. They boasted one of the best offenses in the league and had a chance to display it in front of a hungry New York crowd.
Instead, Boston put on a brilliant offensive performance, shooting a season-high 54.1% from the field. Tatum shot 50% while attempting 26 field goals, and Sixth Man of the Year candidate Payton Pritchard added 25 points off the bench.
Although the Celtics were without two starters, guard Jrue Holiday and center Kristaps Porzingis, the rest of their roster stepped up. Former Knicks center Luke Kornet hasn’t even started double-digit games for the Celtics this season, yet he didn’t miss a beat while joining the first five on Saturday evening. He grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds and was perfect from the floor, converting on all seven of his field goal attempts for 14 points.
Kornet’s rebounding might not seem monumental compared to Tatum’s stellar outing, but it helped limit the Knicks’ second-chance points and extend Boston’s offensive possessions. The Celtics earned 16 second-chance points to the Knicks’ four and easily won the battle on the glass, outrebounding their rivals 48-30.
Despite New York’s struggles and a poor first half, it nearly stormed back in the third quarter. Boston’s double-digit lead fell to just three points after Knicks wing Mikal Bridges drained a triple with 6:52 remaining in the third. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t call for a timeout and Tatum rewarded that decision, driving to the rim for an open dunk. Following that easy bucket, Tatum and company went on a 24-9 run and then buried the Knicks with 35 points in the final frame.
New York was without forward OG Anunoby in the 27-point loss, however, he’s expected to return to action after the All-Star break alongside 7-footer Mitchell Robinson—who’s yet to play a game during the 2024-25 campaign due to offseason surgery.
These recoveries should provide a much-needed boost to New York’s defense. The team finished with the ninth-best defensive rating last season but has since fallen to 16th in 2025. The 34-18 Knicks must pick that up to keep pace with the 37-16 Celtics, who currently boast a top-five offensive and defensive team rating.
