Tatum jumper lifts Celtics

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum hit a turnaround jumper with 1.3 seconds remaining, and the Boston Celtics beat the New York Knicks 104102 on Friday night for their fourth straight victory.

Tatum finished with 24 points. Kemba Walker scored 23 of his 33 points in the second half, and Gordon Hayward had 13 points and nine boards.

Unlike a 11895 rout at Madison Square Garden the previous Saturday, Boston was pushed by New York until the very end of a game that featured 24 lead changes and 10 ties.

Marcus Morris led the Knicks with 29 points, hitting a tying 3pointer with 4.7 seconds left. Rookie RJ Barrett finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.

After Morris’ late 3, the Celtics called timeout and Marcus Smart inbounded the ball to Tatum in the corner for the gamewinner.

It was the third straight game with 30plus points by Walker, who scored 32 in the previous two and finished with his best game since signing with the Celtics as a free agent.

The Knicks led 5049 at halftime and opened the third quarter with a 3pointer by Frank Ntilinkina, starting a period full of shots from beyond the arc. Both clubs hit five 3pointers in the quarter before the Celtics carried a 7574 lead into the fourth.

The backandforth continued in the final period. Boston regained the lead on a threepoint play by Walker, putting the Celtics up 8786 with 5:19 remaining.

Hayward followed with a 3pointer and Tatum hit a pair of foul shots to stretch the lead to 9286 with 4:14 left to play. The Knicks pulled within a point at 9291, then again at 9594 on a 3pointer by Morris, but the Celtics answered with a pair of free throws by Walker and a 3pointer by Tatum with 1:50 remaining, giving Boston a 9994 lead.

TIP-INS

Knicks: Bobby Portis had 13 points and seven rebounds and Ntilikina scored 10 . ... Ntilikina started at point guard, where the Knicks were without Elfrid Payton (hamstring), Dennis Smith Jr. (death in the family) and Kadeem Allen (knee).

Celtics: Rookie Grant Williams scored 10 points.

Elise Amendola / Associated Press Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker (8) shoots against New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett (9) and guard Wayne Ellington in the second half on Friday in Boston.