On Monday night at TD Night in Boston, the New York Knicks pulled off a stunning 108-105 overtime victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 1. This showdown is a part of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where the Knicks overcame a 20-point second-half deficit. This impressive teamwork shocked the defending champions and took a 1-0 lead in the series. Mikal Bridges stood out on his opponent’s home court after sealing the win with a clutch defensive stop in the final seconds of overtime.

Boston controlled the game early. They led 26-25 after the first quarter and stretched the lead to 61-45 by halftime. At one point in the third quarter, the Celtics were up 72-52. Jayson Tatum came out aggressive, targeting Karl-Anthony Towns in pick-and-roll actions. That strategy worked early—Towns picked up two quick fouls within the first five minutes. Tatum scored 13 points in the first quarter alone. Josh Hart also got into foul trouble trying to contain Tatum, giving the Celtics even more of an advantage.

But the game shifted in the third quarter. OG Anunoby hit back-to-back three-pointers, trimming the deficit and injecting energy into the Knicks’ offense. Jalen Brunson, who had a slow start, caught fire late in the third, scoring eight quick points. The Knicks closed the quarter on a strong run and entered the fourth trailing just 84-75. Considering where they had been, this gap is manageable for the team.

Momentum stayed with New York to start the fourth. They went on an 8-0 run, capped by a powerful dunk from Anunoby after stealing the ball from Tatum to tie the game at 86-all. Brunson then stepped up in the clutch. He buried a corner three to give the Knicks a 94-91 lead, their first since early in the second quarter. Then, he followed it up with another triple to extend the lead to six.

The Celtics, however, had one last push. They responded with a 7-0 run of their own, taking back the lead 98-97 with just over two minutes left thanks to a Derrick White three-pointer. Still, Boston’s three-point shooting was abysmal. They finished 15-for-60 from beyond the arc—just 25 percent—and set playoff records for both most three-point attempts and most misses. In the second half and overtime, they took 37 of their 49 total shots from deep.

After the game, Tatum admitted, “There were probably some times that we settled.” Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown added, “When the other team has momentum, we can’t just fire up threes.”

Anunoby put the Knicks back ahead with his sixth three of the night, making it 100-98. Jrue Holiday tied it again with a layup with 53 seconds left. Brunson missed a potential go-ahead layup, and Tatum’s jumper at the buzzer fell short, sending the game to overtime.

In the extra period, New York took control. Anunoby converted a three-point play, and Bridges hit a huge corner three to give the Knicks a 106-100 lead. Brown answered with a three—his only make from deep on 10 attempts—to cut it to 108-105. Then, with just three seconds remaining, the Celtics had a chance to tie. They inbounded the ball to Brown, who tried to create space for a shot. But Bridges was there again, ripping the ball away before Brown could get a shot. That defensive stand ended the game and secured the Knicks’ comeback win.

Brunson led the Knicks with 29 points, hitting 5 of 9 from beyond the arc and adding five assists. Anunoby scored 29, shooting 10-for-20 from the field and hitting six threes. Bridges struggled offensively with just 8 points on 3-for-13 shooting, but his impact was felt everywhere else. The 6’6 footer had 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in a whopping 51 minutes of play. Towns contributed 14 points and 13 rebounds despite foul trouble. On the other hand, Josh Hart added 14 points and 11 boards while battling early fouls of his own.

Tatum had 23 points and 16 rebounds for the Celtics but shot just 7-of-23 overall and 4-of-15 from deep. Brown scored 23 but went 1-for-10 from three and committed the crucial turnover to end the game. Derrick White added 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Holiday, returning from a hamstring injury, had 16 points. Kristaps Porziņģis played only 13 minutes and did not score before leaving with a non-COVID illness. Sam Hauser also exited with an ankle sprain.

After the game, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau praised his team’s toughness and said their switching defense worked “tremendously.” He highlighted the contributions from Anunoby, Hart, Towns, and especially Bridges. Brunson focused on the team’s mindset: “We just kept fighting. Told each other to keep believing. We just found a way.” He brushed off any comparisons to the regular season, saying, “What’s in the past is in the past.”

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla acknowledged that Porziņģis’ absence changed things but insisted, “It’s no excuse.” He defended the team’s shot selection, saying, “The process of our shot quality was good,” but admitted they left too many good Knicks shooters open.

This marks the Knicks’ first road Game 1 win since the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals. With momentum, they now look ahead to Game 2, scheduled for Wednesday, May 7, at 7:00 PM ET, again in Boston.

Knicks vs Celtics Stats

Final Score: New York Knicks 108 – Boston Celtics 105 (OT)
Quarter Scores: 25–26, 20–35, 30–23, 25–21, 8–5

New York Knicks:
Brunson 29, Anunoby 29, Towns 14, Hart 14, Bridges 8, Robinson 6, McBride 4, DiVincenzo 4, Hartenstein 0, Achiuwa 0

Boston Celtics:
Tatum 23, Brown 23, White 19, Holiday 16, Horford 8, Pritchard 6, Porziņģis 0, Hauser 0, Kornet 0, Springer 0, Brissett 0, Walsh 0