Defeat by Knicks, Tatum injury leave Celtics on brink

Jalen Brunson scored 39 points as the New York Knicks "kept fighting" to push the Boston Celtics to the brink of elimination from the play-offs on May 12, while the Golden State Warriors were also left facing an early exit after a damaging defeat by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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NEW YORK - Jalen Brunson scored 39 points as the New York Knicks "kept fighting" to push the Boston Celtics to the brink of elimination from the play-offs on May 12, while the Golden State Warriors were also left facing an early exit after a damaging defeat by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In New York, Brunson spearheaded a sensational second-half rally as the Knicks overturned a 14-point third-quarter deficit before surging to a 121-113 win that gives the third seeds a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven National Basketball Association Eastern Conference semi-final series.

"They hit us early and obviously we got into a hole," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I love the way we fought back and we showed a lot of toughness and more discipline in the second half and timely plays. Everybody worked together on both ends of the floor."