Defending NBA champion Boston overpowered New York 115-93 on Saturday, dominating to the finish after squandering 20-point leads to lose two prior playoff games to the Knicks.Boston leaped to a 36-20 lead after the first quarter,

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.

It's the first playoff matchup between the teams since 2013, and Game 1 is set for Monday night in Boston. The reigning NBA champion Celtics took care of the Orlando Magic in five games in the first round, while the Knicks eliminated the Detroit Pistons in six games in a much closer series.