New York, May 16 (EFE) .- Power forward Julius Randle was once again the leader who contributed 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists with which the New York Knicks beat the Boston Celtics 96-92 and secured the fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Randle became the sixth player to average 24 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in one season, joining Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird, along with Russell Westbrook and Serbian Nikola Jokic.
While the triumph of the Knicks in the last game of the regular season left them with the field advantage when the playoffs begin and they have to face the fifth classified that will come from between the Atlanta Hawks or the Miami Heat.
Canadian forward RJ Barrett scored 22 points as the second leading scorer for the Knicks, who won their third straight game to finish 41-31, allowing them to return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season when they won the Atlantic Division title.
The Knicks needed a win to ensure they play at Madison Square Garden next weekend and they got a lot of help from the Celtics, who were already locked in the play-in tournament at No. 7 and put all of their best to rest. players.
Power forward Jabari Parker scored 18 points as the leader of the Celtics, who led the score (23-24) after a quarter, but then lost their shooting inspiration and made just 4 of 20 shots from the field in the second.
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