On Saturday evening, the New York Knicks staged perhaps the most exhilarating upset of the tournament. They outlasted the Boston Celtics, 108-105, in a mesmerizing overtime win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Jalen Brunson capped the Knicks’ scoring with a blazing 29 points that onlookers marveled at for his talented scoring prowess and poise to lead the offense. This victory leaves the Knicks with a 2-0 series lead. It further steals home-court advantage from the defending NBA champions.
The highly entertaining game was closely fought the entire way, with both squads trading the edge and fighting for every basket on the floor. In addition to Brunson’s standout performance, OG Anunoby matched his scoring tally with 29 points of his own, contributing significantly to the Knicks’ success. The Celtics made it a battle, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown who both scored 23 points. Their efforts were not enough as the Knicks were able to run away in overtime.
Kristaps Porzingis, who was supposed to be a big impact player for Boston, was a no-show in the first half. He had seen only 13 minutes of action and was yet to score in that span. Sadly for the Celtics, Porzingis didn’t come back to play the final two quarters due to an unfortunate sudden illness. This absence threw a huge wrench in their overall game plan.
Perhaps no one impacted the Knicks as much as big man Karl-Anthony Towns. He finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds in only 31 minutes of play. He faced foul trouble and committed four fouls with 7:07 left in the third quarter, limiting his effectiveness. Josh Hart, too, turned in a strong performance, scoring 14 points to go with his 11 rebounds.
Mikal Bridges had a big game supporting New York’s defense, putting up eight points, seven dimes, six boards and three steals. His all-around performance on both ends kept the Knicks afloat during the game’s most important stretches.
Defensively, White took the mantle left by Marcus Smart and consistently found himself in the right places at the right times. In a total team effort, it was Boston’s failure to stop New York’s shooting and fast break game that really lost them the game.
After the game, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau echoed this sentiment, asserting that you won’t win in the playoffs without team defense.
“Your defence, your toughness, your teamwork – I think that’s paramount in a playoff game,” – Tom Thibodeau
Thibodeau backed him up on that one, adding that the mental side of the playoffs is tough.
“The biggest challenge in the playoffs (is) dealing with the emotions of the playoffs,” – Tom Thibodeau
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla addressed the possibility of Porzingis missing the game, and how it would change their approach to the game.
“Obviously it impacts the game with (Porzingis’) ability at both ends of the floor … Hopefully he’s ready for Game 2,” – Joe Mazzulla
Mazzulla was honest about what they need to work on, especially the communication on defensive assignments and the transition defense.
“We left some of their good shooters open, so some personnel stuff, and they were able to get out in transition after some of our misses,” – Joe Mazzulla
Both squads making adjustments & preparations ahead of Game 2 of this physical series. Like any two great programs, they’ll counter each other’s plans to a T depending who wins moments in this even match up. The Knicks don’t want to stop winning any more than you do. On the other side, the Celtics hope to come back and get their home-court advantage fully restored.
