Boston, MA — For the second consecutive game, the New York Knicks faced a steep uphill battle against a Boston Celtics team known for shutting the door on opponents. But once again, the Knicks defied the odds — and did it in almost identical fashion.
With another dramatic finish, New York pulled off a second straight 20-point comeback to edge the Celtics 91-90 on Wednesday night, taking a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Mikal Bridges delivered the game-sealing moment with a late steal — his second in as many games — as the Knicks inched closer to eliminating the defending NBA champions.
“We just keep finding ways to win,” Bridges said.
Jalen Brunson finished with 17 points, sinking two clutch free throws with 12.7 seconds left to give New York the lead. On Boston’s final possession, Jayson Tatum failed to get a clean look, and Bridges swooped in to knock the ball loose and secure the victory.
All of Bridges’ 14 points came in the fourth quarter. Josh Hart led the Knicks with 23 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns contributed a strong double-double with 21 points and 17 rebounds. Game 3 shifts to New York on Saturday.
“We know what’s in front of us. We have to stay focused,” said Brunson.
Boston was led by Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, who scored 20 points each. But the Celtics’ cold shooting continued to plague them — they hit just 10 of 40 from beyond the arc, following a dismal 15-for-60 performance in Game 1.
Tatum struggled mightily, going 5-for-19 from the field for just 13 points. Boston’s offense collapsed down the stretch, going over eight minutes without a field goal and missing 13 straight shots in the fourth quarter.
Historically, teams that go up 2-0 on the road in a best-of-seven series win nearly 86% of the time. The Knicks had already stunned the Celtics in the opener, when Bridges stripped the ball from Brown in the final second of overtime.
“It’s a chance to show our resilience,” Brown said, pointing out that Boston swept the Knicks during the regular season.
“We need to respond.”
Kristaps Porzingis, battling an illness, didn’t start and played limited minutes off the bench — just the fifth time in his career he’s come in as a reserve. He finished with eight points and four rebounds in 14 minutes.
All eyes were on Boston’s offense after they set a playoff record with 45 missed three-pointers in Game 1. Though they improved slightly from distance, they still shot poorly overall, managing only 24-of-54 on two-point attempts.
Boston appeared to seize control late in the third quarter, using a 16-6 spurt sparked by tight defense to build a 73-53 lead. After Payton Pritchard nailed a three-pointer early in the fourth, the Celtics held an 84-68 advantage with 8:40 remaining. But they wouldn’t score again until Tatum’s dunk with 18.5 seconds left.
New York responded with a flurry. Hart’s floater made it 86-82, and Towns completed a three-point play to trim the deficit to one. After a Tatum miss, Brunson nailed a mid-range jumper to put the Knicks ahead 87-86. Brown’s attempt to retake the lead rimmed out, and Brunson drove for a layup, extending the lead to 89-86.
Tatum hit two free throws, then drove past Mitchell Robinson for a dunk following a Knicks miss, briefly putting Boston back in front, 90-89.
Brunson was fouled and calmly knocked down both free throws for the final lead change.
Even in victory, Hart said the Knicks believe there’s still another level to reach.
“I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface of what we can do,” he said.
