The Boston Celtics secured their first win of the Eastern Conference semifinals and the Minnesota Timberwolves took a second-round series lead during Saturday night 2025 NBA playoffs action. The Celtics routed the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden to cut the Knicks' series lead to 2-1.

The key to victory in Game 3 was the return of elite perimeter shooting, and also championship defense. The Celtics held New York to 93 points on just 40.0% shooting from the field and limited the Knicks to just five three-pointers (5-25).

Jaylen Brown led the half with 17 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while Jayson Tatum added 14 points, three assists, and two rebounds. For the Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns posted 13 first half points to go with six rebounds, while Jalen Brunson contributed 12 points before the break.