Jalen Brunson recorded an impressive 39 points to aid the visiting New York Knicks in extending their win streak to three games as they overcame the Boston Celtics 118-109 on Thursday.

Brunson notched six points in the initial quarter, followed by 12 in the second, and he capped it off with 21 in the third. He converted 15 of his 23 field goal attempts, including 6-of-11 3-pointers from beyond the arc.

With this victory, New York (48-32) maintained their position in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, trailing Milwaukee Bucks (49-31) by a single game. Meanwhile, the Celtics (62-18), who suffered their second consecutive loss, had previously secured the premier seed in the East.

Contributing to the Knicks’ win was Donte DiVincenzo with 17 points, Josh Hart with 16 points and 16 rebounds, and Isaiah Hartenstein with 11 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists.

On the Celtics side, Jayson Tatum led with 18 points and seven assists, supported by Jaylen Brown with 15 points and Kristaps Porzingis with 14 points and eight rebounds.

This matchup marked the fifth and final regular-season clash between the two teams. Boston had emerged victorious in the previous four encounters.

The Knicks held a 32-29 lead after the opening quarter and widened the gap by outscoring the Celtics 37-19 in the second period, establishing a commanding 69-48 halftime advantage.

Despite Boston briefly narrowing the deficit to 47-45, New York surged ahead with a 17-0 run, reaching 64-45 following a pivotal Brunson 3-pointer with 2:18 left in the half. The Knicks closed the half on a strong note, scoring 25 of the final 30 points.

New York dominated the rebounding battle with a 32-17 edge in the first two quarters, particularly excelling with a 12-3 advantage on the offensive glass. Brunson, who has achieved 30+ points in each of his last six games, led all scorers with 18 points by halftime.

Heading into the final quarter with a 90-71 lead, the Knicks further extended their advantage to 31 points as Boston opted to give their starters rest during this period.

New York maintained superiority in rebounding with a 52-36 edge over Boston.