The New York Knicks beat defending NBA champions Boston Celtics to reach a first Eastern Conference finals in 25 years.

The third quarter of Wednesday’s beatdown, which extended the Knicks’ and Boston Celtics’ second-round series at least another 48 hours, was the capper. Advertisement The Celtics, even without perennial All-NBA first-teamer Jayson Tatum,

Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each scored 23 points as the New York Knicks reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000 by steamrolling the visiting Boston Celtics 119-81 on Friday in Game 6 of their semifinal series.

On Friday, the last night of the Celtics’ season ended with Mazzulla walking slowly and quietly down a long concrete ramp in the bowels of Madison Square Garden, where a bus would take him past long-starved Knicks revelers whose night of celebration was just beginning.

Boston Celtics fans were heartbroken after the loss to the New York Knicks in Game 6. WBZ-TV's Tammy Mutasa reports.

The Celtics, after rallying to win Game 5 without injured superstar Jayson Tatum, were obliterated in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, offering little resistance in a 119-81 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

The New York Knicks thrashed the Boston Celtics 119-81 to send the defending champions crashing out of the NBA playoffs on Friday.New York will head into that best-of-seven series brimming with confidence after an electrifying performance that swept aside a Boston team who had dominated the Knicks in a game five win on Wednesday.

The belief ended with 1:49 remaining in the third quarter of Game 6 on Friday night, when coach Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters with the New York Knicks leading by 41 points. The Knicks went on to a 119-81 victory to win the Eastern Conference semifinal series and ensure that the Celtics' latest title reign would be a brief one.