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In a game that brought back memories of past Celtics/Knicks playoff games, it was the Knicks rallying from a 20-point third quarter deficit to steal the opening game of their best of seven, NBA Eastern Conference semi-final series.
Jalen Brunson and O.G. Anunoby led the Knicks’ offensive attack with 29 points each. Mickell Bridges, who had just eight points playing 51 of 53 minutes, provided the key defensive plays for the winning New Yorkers.
But the major story of this game centered on the Celtics missing an NBA record 45 three-point field goal attempts and blowing a 20-point third quarter lead to hand away home-court advantage in this series.
The box score read Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scoring 23 points each to lead a Celtics offensive attack that placed three other players in double figures: Derrick White, who had 19; Jrue Holiday, who had16; and Payton Pritchard, who had 13.
Tatum and Brown had bad shooting nights in the loss. More glaringly was the fact that the defending NBA champions blew a 20-point lead on their home court to a team they had beaten four times in a row during the regular season. Further, the Green’s star center, Kristaps Porzingis, didn’t score in 13 minutes of playing time and did not return to the game after the second quarter.
New York’s Mickell Bridges tries to stop The C’s Jaylen Brown at the basket. PHOTO: DAVID BUTLER
Anunoby scored 12 points in the pivotal third quarter run that saw the Knicks outscore the Celtics, 20-6, to erase the double-digit lead. The combination of Brunson and Anunoby outscored the Brown and Tatum duo, 58-46.
New York Coach Tom Thibodeau credited his team’s mental toughness, which sparked the comeback. “We played tough throughout, especially when we fell behind by 20,” he said.
The former Celtics assistant coach, who helped guide the Green to their 2008 NBA title, was quick to point out that the Knicks win was a total team effort. “We got contributions from several players to pull out this win. But it is only one win. We need three more to capture this series,” said Thibodeau..
“We gave up a lot of three-point attempts. The Celtics almost set a record against us in a regular season game,” said Brunson. “Tonight, they missed a lot of three-point shots.”
The Celtics made just 15 of 60 from long range, setting a new NBA playoff record for most three-point misses in a game.
This three-point shot selection issue has been a bone of contention with Celtics detractors, who claim that this team is vulnerable, especially when they suffer bad shooting nights. Yet, they keep firing up three-point shots instead of driving to the basket. That was the case as New York pulled off the most remarkable comeback win in team history, while handing the Celtics one of the worst defeats for the franchise.
A one-week layoff with the attendant rust factor tossed in cannot be used as an excuse when you blow a 20-point lead. The score was 75-55 with 5:45 left in the third quarter. In their last 25 postseasons, the Knicks were 0-14 when trailing by 20 plus points, while the Celtics were 64-0 when leading by 20 plus points.
“Those moments when the other team has momentum, we can’t just fire up threes. To break up momentum, you have to drive to the basket to get an easy two points or get fouled and shoot free throws,” said Jaylen Brown. “We’ll make adjustments for game two of this series.”
The history of this rivalry dates back to the beginning of the National Basketball Association. This is the 15th playoff meeting between the two organizations. The Celtics dominated through the Bill Russell years, and the Knicks gained a short advantage in the early 1970s. Those Knicks teams of Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, the recently departed Dr. Dick Barnett, Earl Monroe, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley and Phil Jackson helped to produce the only two NBA titles in franchise history — the last in 1973-74.
The Patrick Ewing years produced a few memorable moments for Knicks fans, but for the most part, the Celtics have owned the history of this rivalry.
In other NBA action, Indiana and Denver also recorded road wins in the playoffs.
Cavalier forward Donovan Mitchell gets fouled by the Pacers’ Myles Turner. PHOTO: KEN BLAZE
The Pacers stunned the top-seeded Cavaliers with a 121-112 comeback win in the opening game of their best-of-seven NBA Eastern Conference semi-final series to wrestle away home-court advantage. Cleveland led, 102-101, with 6:30 remaining in the game. But Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers All-Star guard, hit a three-pointer and blocked a Cavs shot to start a 20-10 run, finishing off the top seed in the East.
Summing up his team’s performance, Haliburton said, “We’re just trying to be a confident group coming into this series. There’s not a lot of people picking us to win by any means. We’re definitely the heavy underdog, but we’re trying to control what we can as a group, just keep believing in what we do.”
The Nuggets rallied back from multiple double-digit deficits to stun the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder 121-119 and steal the home-court advantage in their NBA Western Conference matchup. The game went down to the wire, and the Nuggets’ thin hopes were alive when Thunder center Chet Holmgren missed two free throws with 9.5 seconds left. Denver guard Russell Westbrook took the out-of-bounds pass, raced up the floor, and rifled it to Aaron Gordon for the game-winning three with 2.8 seconds left in regulation.
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic scored 42 points, with 18 in the fourth quarter, and pulled down 22 rebounds. The Denver center delivered another NBA feat, becoming the first player in league history to score 40 points, pull down 20 rebounds, have five assists, and have two blocks in a playoff game.
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