New York Knicks Trey Burke
(Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

The New York Knicks break a six-game skid, and Trey Burke put on a show in an impressive win, shocking the Boston Celtics.

Geoffrey Campbell

  • New York Knicks 117 (5-14)
  • Boston Celtics 109 (9-9)
  • NBA, East, Final, Box Score
  • TD Bank Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

The Knicks were in the holiday giving mood as they gave fans some respite from a six-game losing streak. A well-deserved win against the struggling Boston Celtics was only accomplished through a true team effort, headlined by Trey Burke.

Burke was part of a second unit squad including Allonzo Trier, Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox, and Mitchell Robinson that went absolutely off. Burke hit everything from mid-range shots, to the floater, as well as from the three-point line. And he wasn’t just putting the ball in the basket. In addition to his 18 points, Burke added five assists and five rebounds during his first half onslaught.

The Celtics for their part just didn’t look like themselves. They missed plenty of shots that they would normally make. Their ball movement wasn’t terrible and although took advantage of some mismatches in the post, they just didn’t have any spark to their game. But credit the Knicks, they took advantage.

At one point, the Knicks were up 26 points in the second quarter, shooting over 60 percent from the field. But the Celtics chipped away towards the end of the half, cutting the lead down to 16.

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In the second half, the Celtics started their comeback. Marcus Morris Sr. and Kyrie Irving started to heat up. Yet it was Burke, Trier, and Robinson that continued to push the Knicks forward. Robinson, in limited minutes, was very productive. The young center altered shots, blocked shots, and set some decent screens for the guards, finishing with eight points and six blocks.

Kevin Knox even had a nice comeback game. After some lackluster performances, the first round pick scored 11 points on five shots and added nine rebounds. A late push from the Celtics with key threes from Gordon Hayward and Morris Sr. cut the lead to four. And all the sudden, the Knicks close game/fourth quarter woes were staring them straight in the face.

But it was all Burke down the stretch. The Michigan alum, with a huge rivalry game against Ohio St. set for this Saturday, probably sent some good vibes towards his alma mater with his performance. Burke finished the game with 29 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds and iced the game with a three over the outstretched arm of Jayson Tatum.

The Knicks leave Boston with their fifth win of the season and are off until they play the Pelicans on Friday.

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