In the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday, the New York Knicks held on to secure a close victory over the Boston Celtics in overtime.
Jayson Tatum had a strong first quarter for Boston as Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby kept the Knicks in the game. After a close first quarter, Tatum’s supporting staff came alive and helped the Celtics jump to a 16-point halftime lead. Foul trouble was an issue for both teams early, resulting in a long-range showdown of three-point shooting.
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Despite inefficient shooting from the reigning champs, hustle plays and strong rebounding allowed the Celtics expand their lead to 20 points in the third quarter.
Midway through the second quarter, the Knicks’ defense held strong and allowed the offense to storm back into the game. After New York wiped away the deficit, the fourth quarter was as exciting as it can get.
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Boston’s three-point struggles continued in the fourth, allowing the Knicks to grab a six-point lead. With less than four minutes to play, Derrick White made a huge play on the rebounds and hit a clutch three to make it a 98-97 game with the Knicks in the lead.
After clutch heroics from both squads, it was tied at 100 at the end of regulation.
In overtime, the Celtics couldn’t overcome their shooting struggles and New York’s swarming defense stopped Jaylen Brown from getting a game-tying shot attempt up as time expired and the Knicks were victorious.
The Celtics made history with the most three-point shot attempts of all time for an NBA playoff game with 60. Although they got up 60 long-range shots, they only made 15 of them.
Brunson and Anunoby led the way for the Knicks with 29 points apiece while Karl-Anthony Towns had 14 points and 13 rebounds.
For Boston, Tatum finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds on 7-23 shooting. Jaylen Brown also struggled and had 23 points on 7-20 shooting.
As the league’s best three-point shooting team, this kind of performance from the Celtics is highly unusual. If they can knock down their open shots, they have a solid chance of tying the series in the next matchup.
The Knicks on the other hand, will arrive in Boston for Game 2 with extra confidence and a 1-0 series lead on Wednesday.
James Parker is an NBA writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJamesParker
