For the second consecutive game, the New York Knicks found themselves in a hole that the Boston Celtics have rarely let the teams leave this season.
The Knicks again found a way, almost in the same way, in fact, to achieve the unlikely. And now they are two victories to eliminate the playoff defense champions.
Mikal Bridges sealed another 20-point return with his second consecutive robbery and the Knicks surprised the Celtics again on Wednesday night, winning 91-90 for a 2-0 advantage in the semifinals of the Eastern Conference.
“Just finding ways to win,” Bridges said.
Jalen Brunson scored 17 points for New York and made two free throws with 12.7 seconds for an advantage of 91-90. Jayson Tatum then could not reach the edge and Bridges moved to hit the ball and recover it.
Bridges also scored all his 14 points in the last quarter. Josh Hart had 23 points and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Knicks, who will receive game 3 on Saturday.
“When we go home we realize the opportunity we have. We just have to stay locked,” Brunson said.
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White scored 20 points each for the Celtics, which were 10 of 40 from the range of 3 points after going 15 for 60 in game 1.
Tatum was limited to 13 points in shooting 5 by 19 for the Celtics, which spent more than eight minutes without a field goal in the fourth quarter. 13 consecutive shots were lost during the section.
The teams that win the first two games in a better series of seven along the way win the 85.7% of the time. The Knicks took the first game when Bridges stole Brown’s ball with a remaining second in extra time.
“Opportunity to show what we are made of,” Brown said about a Boston team that swept New York 4-0 in the regular season. “We have to answer.”
Kristaps porzingis did not start after sitting the second half of game 1 with a disease. He left the bank for the fifth time in his career in the NBA and ended with eight points and four rebounds in 14 minutes.
All eyes were on the offensive of the Celtics after a 45 triple playoff records were lost in its loss of game 1. They were 24 by 54 from the 2 -point range on Wednesday.
Despite their struggles against the shot, the Celtics found some traction at the end of the third quarter, using a 16-6 race, classified by their effort into the defensive wing, to convert a 10-point advantage into an advantage of 73-53 at the end of the period.
It was 84-68 after triple Payton Pritchard with 8:40 to play, but the Celtics would not make another basket until Tatum turned with 18.5 seconds.
New York cut it to 86-82 in a Hart float before the three-point play of Towns reduced it to 86-85. Tatum lost a jumper, and Brunson made an 18 -foot foot to put New York in front.
A Brown jumper left the edge on Boston’s next trip along the floor. Brunson then found a lane in the basket and fell into a tray to put it 89-86.
Tatum connected in a couple of free throws and then recovered it after a lady in New York who left the limits with 24.2 seconds.
Following 89-88, Tatum pushed the ball to the front court and easily led Mitchell Robinson for a voyage to put the Celtics in front.
Brunson was committed and connected in both free throws.
Hart said they are going home knowing that they can still play better.
“I don’t even think we know what we are capable of,” he said.
