New York Knicks Comeback to Stun Boston Celtics in Game 1

The New York Knicks completed a 20-point comeback to stun the Boston Celtics in Game 1. After trailing by 20 in the third quarter, the Knicks stormed back to win 108-105 in overtime. Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each scored 29 points, making massive plays down the stretch. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 23 points, but the Celtics missed a record-breaking 45 threes, leading to their defeat. This was one of the most anticipated series of the second round, and New York took a 1-0 series lead in a thrilling game.

The Boston Celtics Lead Early

The Boston Celtics swept the Knicks 4-0 in the regular season, but none of that matters in the playoffs. New York came off a tough first-round victory over the Pistons and was fired up. Derrick White scored Boston’s first five points and got a transition block. However, both teams were a bit sloppy, missing shots and turning it over. Tatum began to score, knocking down a pair of threes. The Knicks answered as Anunoby made two threes. Things were deadlocked for most of the quarter. A Payton Pritchard three put the Celtics ahead to end the quarter. The Boston Celtics led 26-25. Tatum had 13 points.

The lead trading went into the second quarter as Karl-Anthony Towns heated up. Pritchard and Jrue Holiday put the Celtics back out front, but neither team could build a significant lead. Brown got a couple of baskets after a cold first quarter, and after a few defensive stops, they began to build a lead. Boston also employed a strategy of fouling Mitchell Robinson and sending him to the free-throw line. It had mixed results. Still, it helped them maintain their lead, going up by double digits. Brown scored on three straight possessions to extend their lead. At halftime, the Boston Celtics led 61-45, closing the half on a 13-3 run.

The Boston Celtics stepped up defensively to close the half, so even if the offense had its lapses, they had built a lead. Brown led with 14 points, scoring 13 in the second quarter. Tatum and Pritchard each had 13 points. The Celtics were shooting 21.7% from three but had similar three-point struggles against the Magic in the first round and adapted. Towns led the Knicks with 10 points, followed by Brunson with nine. It was an interesting half, where players on both teams got into foul trouble. Boston and New York were neck and neck until the Celtics pulled ahead to close the half. But the Knicks were not out of it yet.

The Knicks’ Miraculous Comeback

The Knicks came out firing to start the third quarter, with a Mikal Bridges three. White and Holiday responded with threes. Towns also picked up his fourth foul. White then blocked Towns, leading to an Al Horford dunk to put the Boston Celtics up by 20. It was here where New York heated up. Josh Hart and Anunoby made three consecutive threes, and they went on a 9-0 run, cutting it down to 11. Tatum stopped the bleeding with back-to-back threes, but the Knicks kept fighting and cut it to single digits. A Brunson three cut it to eight, and it was down to six before a Horford three. Through three quarters, the Boston Celtics led 84-75.

The Knicks closed the third quarter on a 20-9 run and started the fourth quarter hot again. They opened on a 5-0 run to make it a four-point game. The Celtics’ offense went cold and struggled while New York was surging. Anunoby made another three to bring it to one. Anunoby then tied the game with a steal and emphatic dunk, completing the 20-point comeback. Boston’s offense was completely lifeless, but a Holiday three gave them the lead back. Brunson tied it again with another three. With 4:40, it was tied 91-91.

Brunson took over, making back-to-back threes to give the Knicks a six-point lead. He could not miss. Boston’s free throws brought it back to two. Then, a three-pointer from White gave them the lead back, 98-97, with 2:15 remaining. Boston then forced a turnover, but after a Tatum miss, New York got it back. Brunson found Anunoby for another three, putting them up by two. A Holiday layup tied it again. In the next possession, White grabbed a rebound, giving the Celtics the ball with 28 seconds left. Tatum shot a step-back three, but missed, giving the Knicks a final shot.

Brunson got the ball cutting to the rim. It was an open look, but he missed the potential game-winning floater. Boston got the ball with less than a second, with no time to get a shot off. Tied 100-100, it was going to overtime.

Overtime

The Boston Celtics and Knicks went to overtime in their final regular-season game and did so again in the playoffs. New York struck first with an Anunoby and one dunk. Then, a Bridges three put them up by six. A Brown three cut it to three with a minute left. From there, both teams traded misses. Brown missed a layup with contact and no call. Then, he was fouled as he shot a three in the final seconds, but it was called on the floor. This gave Boston a final shot with three seconds left. The ball was thrown to Brown, but it was ripped away by Bridges as time expired. The Knicks stunned the Boston Celtics 108-105.

Final Thoughts

New York takes a 1-0 series lead with this comeback win. It looked like the Boston Celtics had things handled in the third quarter, but they never relented, and multiple clutch plays led to their biggest win of the season. The Knicks have struggled against top teams all year, and this was a massive statement at the expense of their division rivals. Anunoby and Brunson each scored 29 points, with both making huge shots down the stretch. Bridges played 51 minutes and had eight points, but his defense in overtime won them the game.

The Boston Celtics died by the three-pointer. They shot an ugly 15-of-60, setting a NBA record with 45 missed threes in a playoff game. Some of this was just missing open looks, but it was also poor shot selection, from contested step-backs to passing up layups for threes. Tatum and Brown each had 23 points, but the Celtics’ offense was nonexistent in the clutch. They scored a combined 21 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, settling for bad jumpers that were completely cold. The offense fell apart, and it was one of their worst playoff losses in recent memory.