The New York Knicks stunned the Boston Celtics once again, claiming game two of their NBA Conference semi-final with a dramatic 91-90 playoff series win.
Although they trailed by 20 points in the third quarter, the Knicks showed incredible grit to turn things around.
Jalen Brunson hit two crucial free throws with just 12.7 seconds left, giving New York the lead at the death.
Right after, Mikal Bridges secured the win by swiping the ball away, denying Boston’s last chance. Brunson finished with 17 points and seven assists, while Josh Hart led the team with 23 points.
Despite trailing by 16 points in the fourth quarter, the Knicks battled back, marking their second straight comeback in this thrilling series. Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and 17 rebounds, and Bridges scored all 14 of his points in the final period. Impressively, New York did not take the lead until the closing two minutes.
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Tom Thibodeau praised his team’s resilience, saying, “We started slowly, got in a big hole, dug our way out and then guys made a lot of tough plays.” He also added, “[Our players] were at their best when their best was needed down the stretch.”
Boston’s Derrick White and Jaylen Brown each scored 20 points, but their efforts fell short at the buzzer. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla admitted, “They made the necessary plays to win. We put ourselves in position to do that and we just didn’t make the plays.”
OK City outshine Nuggets marvelously
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder evened their series with a crushing 149-106 win over the Denver Nuggets. Oklahoma City erupted with 45 points in the first quarter and tied the NBA play-off record by scoring 87 points in one half.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander starred with 34 points, watching the fourth quarter from the bench after sealing the game early. “We knew what was at stake tonight,” he said.
Denver’s Nikola Jokic was limited to 17 points and fouled out in the third quarter, as Denver’s coach admitted, “We got punked.”
Tags: New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, NBA, playoff series, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Karl-Anthony Towns, NBA Conference semi-final, Mikal Bridges.
