NEW YORK — After 25 years, the New York Knicks are back in the Eastern Conference Finals after vanquishing last year’s champion, the Boston Celtics, in six games of their best-of-seven semifinal series. 

The Knicks played their best game of the series in the clincher with a wire-to-wire 119-81 victory before a star-studded and sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden here on Friday (Saturday Philippine time). 

Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges combined for 21 points in the tone-setting opening quarter, where the Knicks grabbed a 26-21 lead. The lead quickly grew to 27 points in the second quarter behind Miles McBride’s 10 points off the bench. 

Jaylen Brown scored 20 points for Boston, which lost its leading scorer, Jayson Tatum to a season-ending Achilles injury in Game 4. But Brown fouled out in the third quarter. The Celtics’ slim chances of bringing back the series to Boston for a Game 7 went out with him. 

After Brown fouled out late in the third quarter, Boston coach Joe Mazulla emptied his bench as the Knicks led by as many as 41 points. 

Six players finished in double figures for the home team, led by Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby, who had 23 points apiece. 

Towns logged a double-double (21 points and 12 rebounds) while Bridges added 22. Josh Hart delivered a triple-double (10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists) in a balanced scoring attack. 

“It’s a great win. We advance. You look at that, but you also understand you have to get ready for the next series," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. 

“The Pacers are a terrific team and we’re going to have to be ready.”

The Eastern Conference Finals will be a rematch between the Knicks and the Pacers, who faced off in last year’s semifinals. 

The Pacers beat the Knicks in seven games but had to climb back from 2-0 and 3-2 series deficits. Injuries to Mitchell Robinson, Anunoby and Brunson derailed the Knicks.

A healthy Knicks team, with Towns and Bridges, will be a handful for the Pacers, who are the underdogs in the series despite taking down the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in five games in the other bracket. 

The Knicks are -3.5 favorites in the series opener at Bet Panda, one of the top no-verification betting sites.

Game 1 is on Wednesday (Thursday Philippine time). 

The Eastern Conference Finals will feature several exciting matchups that may well dictate the outcome of the series. 

All-Star point guards Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton will rekindle their rivalry from last year’s series that spilled over to a WWE cameo appearance. 

Myles Turner and Towns, two big men who can hit it from the outside, will square up at center, while former Toronto teammates Pascal Siakam and Anunoby will try to neutralize each other. 

But the Knicks have the wild card in Bridges, giving them a handsome chance of advancing to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.