Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum suffers serious injury in Knicks loss, Wolves take down Warriors missing Steph Curry

Jalen Brunson registered 39 points and 12 assists as New York moved a win away from their first NBA Eastern Conference finals appearance in 25 years and pushed defending champions Boston to the brink of elimination.

Brunson’s brilliance helped the Knicks to a 121-113 victory in Game 4 on Monday night (Tuesday AEST).

The Celtics will have to make the NBA’s 14th comeback from a 3-1 deficit to extend their title reign, and may have to do it without All-Star Jayson Tatum, carried off with a right leg injury with 2:58 left.

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW: TATUM IN TEARS

Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each made 23 points and OG Anunoby added 20 for the Knicks, who can win the series on Wednesday night in Boston. If not, they would come back to Madison Square Garden to try to do it Friday night.

Tatum scored 42 points before he was hurt when the Celtics turned the ball over and his leg gave out as he tried to lunge towards the loose ball.

“Obviously you’re always concerned about someone’s health, so it’s twofold,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said.

“We’re concerned about his health, where he’s at, and we’re concerned about what we have to do better for Game 5 when we get back to Boston.”

New York had taken control just before that in front of delirious fans who haven’t seen them play in the conference finals since 2000.

Nobody has come from 3-1 down since Denver did it twice in 2020 at the Walt Disney World resort. It hasn’t happened when a team had to win a true road game since Cleveland rallied past Golden State in 2016.

After leading by at least 20 points in the first three games - but blowing the first two of them in Boston - the Celtics had another double-digit lead less than five minutes into this game.

They led 62-51 at halftime, but the Knicks played their starters the entire way in a desperate third quarter in which they outscored the visitors 37-23.

Tatum’s three-point play tied it for the final time at 102-102, before Anunoby hit a triple. New York later put it away for good with an 11-0 burst.

Derrick White made six three-pointers and scored 23 points for Boston, while Jaylen Brown had 20.

In San Francisco, Anthony Edwards scored 30 points and Julius Randle had 31 as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Golden State Warriors 117-110 for a 3-1 lead in their Western Conference playoff series.

Now, it’s back home to Minneapolis for the Wolves with a chance to clinch the best-of-seven Western Conference semi-final series in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The Warriors will still be without Stephen Curry, who sat out his third game in a row and is scheduled to have his strained left hamstring re-evaluated.

Edwards made consecutive three-pointers and scored 11 points in a decisive 17-0 Minnesota run that put them ahead 85-68 late in the third. They led 97-77 going into the fourth and the Warriors couldn’t catch up.

Edwards - coming off a 36-point performance in Game 3 - hit a 30-foot triple to beat the halftime buzzer and pull Minnesota within 60-58 at the break.

The Wolves delivered in the second half again after also trailing by two points at halftime in a 102-97 victory in Game 3.

Jonathan Kuminga came off the bench to score 23 points and convert 11 of 12 free throws for the Warriors.

Golden State have now dropped three in a row since Curry hurt his leg early in Game 1 last Tuesday night.