Knicks suffer OT loss to Celtics to remain winless vs. NBA’s best

The Knicks can compete. Contending is another matter.

After three straight losses to the Celtics by knockout — by an average of more than 17 points — the Knicks finally took the defending champs to the final bell yet still left Madison Square Garden last night as the victims of a regular-season sweep.

On the verge of the team’s most thrilling and meaningful victory of the season, the Knicks surrendered a game-tying 3 to Jayson Tatum with 2.9 seconds left in regulation and a tiebreaking 3 to Kristaps Porzingis with 41.2 seconds left in overtime, falling 119-117 to Boston.

“We don’t take moral victories,” said Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished with 34 points and 14 rebounds. “I thought we did a good job meeting their aggression. … Just an all-around better game, execution, it gave us a chance to win, but they’re a great team. Give them credit where credit is due. Defending champions did exactly what defending champions do.”

The Garden was in postseason form, repeatedly erupting as the Knicks clawed back in the fourth quarter and found themselves 11.2 seconds from a resounding statement after Josh Hart’s layup put the Celtics down three.

Boston opted not to call timeout, giving the ball to Tatum, who scored 13 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter. He silenced the crowd with a step-back 3. Hart followed with a missed 3 at the buzzer.

“I should’ve fouled,” OG Anunoby said. “I should’ve known to foul.”

Entering with five wins in their previous six games, the Knicks (50-29) have won just one of their past eight games against teams over .500 — falling to 12-20 against winning teams this season — and have gone nearly two calendar years since last beating the Celtics at home.

They are a combined 0-9 this season against the top three teams in the league — the Celtics, Cavaliers and Thunder.

The loss combined with a Pacers win leaves the Knicks’ magic number at one for the No. 3 seed in the East, and a potential second-round matchup with Boston (59-20), which has won 12 of its past 13 games and is now locked into the No. 2 seed.

“They’re the defending champion,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Until someone proves they can beat them, they’re defending their championship, so we know that there’s a lot of work for us to do. We’re still working through things.”

The Knicks appeared aware of the ramifications of a game that would affect their psyche far more than the standings.

The Celtics suited up as if it meant as much, playing a trio of stars — Tatum (ankle), Jaylen Brown (knee) and Porzingis (illness) — who were all listed as questionable.

Led by Towns, the Knicks were up 30-27 after 12 minutes.

It was the first time this season that the Knicks didn’t trail Boston by double digits after one quarter.

The Celtics opened cold but kept to their season-long script, despite the most prolific 3-point shooting team in league history starting 6-for-24 beyond the arc.

Boston, though, would finish 19-for-49 from deep — Porzingis (34 points) was repeatedly left open on the perimeter, hitting 8-of-13 from long range.

The Knicks made just 11-of-38, relying on their interior advantage, which saw the Knicks win the rebounding battle by 14 and claim a 60-30 edge in points in the paint.

A back-and-forth fourth quarter saw the Knicks jump ahead on an Anunoby putback with 1:29 remaining.

Following a Bridges jumper, Tatum had the chance to tie the game at the line after Towns fouled him on a corner 3, but the Celtics superstar missed the final attempt, leaving the Knicks up one.

Tatum would make up for it one possession later. Then, Porzingis delivered again.

“I don’t think there’s anything really positive about it,” Hart said about the loss. “I think we’re playing good basketball, and that’s where we want to be toward the end of the year going into the playoffs. … We played well. We didn’t play well enough to win. We gotta continue to build.”