After a wild comeback win from 20 points down in the third quarter, the New York Knicks pulled off one of their biggest playoff wins ever against the defending champion Boston Celtics. Now, the series stays in Boston for a crucial Game 2.
Boston had a nightmare night from deep, missing 45 of their 60 three-point attempts—a playoff record. While plenty of Celtics fans are asking what went wrong, it’s just as important to credit what the Knicks did right. New York wasn’t perfect either, but they were tougher, and they had the best closer on the floor: Jalen Brunson.
We’ll break it all down and preview Game 2 below, after we nailed our Game 1 prediction.
Knicks vs. Celtics Game 2 Preview and Predictions
How to Watch:
When: Wednesday, May 7, 7 p.m. ET
Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA
TV: TNT, MAX, truTV
Breaking Down Game 1
Boston’s problems started when they lost size during the game. Luke Kornet has been tough for the Knicks to handle, but he was in foul trouble. Kristaps Porzingis got sick and only played 13 minutes. Then Sam Hauser went down with an ankle injury. That let New York take better control of the paint, and Brunson took full advantage, dropping 29 points with a bunch of clutch shots.
Yes, Boston missed a ton of threes. But credit the Knicks’ defense. Coach Tom Thibodeau had a great plan, and his team made every shot tough. OG Anunoby locked in on Jayson Tatum and even used Karl-Anthony Towns’ length to switch and bother him.
Anunoby and Mikal Bridges both shined on the perimeter. Anunoby, one of the NBA’s best defenders, jumped passing lanes and forced turnovers. Bridges played 51 minutes and made the key stop on Jaylen Brown at the end—Brown couldn’t even get a shot off.
Knicks vs. Celtics Game 2 Preview
The question for Game 2: How does Boston adjust?
They’re too deep and well-coached not to. Expect less foul trouble, especially from their bigs. The Celtics’ “hack-a-Mitch” strategy worked in part—Mitchell Robinson shot under 30% from the line—but it cost Boston fouls they couldn’t afford.
Tatum should look to attack Towns more, especially since Towns can be shaky on defense. Coach Joe Mazzulla will likely focus on getting to the rim, especially after what Bill Simmons called “lazy” late-game possessions on his podcast.
MORE: How Many 3s Did C’s Miss vs. Knicks?
Let’s not act like New York was flawless, though. The Knicks missed 14 free throws (17-of-31 total) and only shot 42% from the field. Towns had just 14 points. Bridges went 3-for-13, way below his usual numbers. He usually hits 52.8% from 3-10 feet and nearly 50% from midrange, according to Basketball Reference.
One thing they did do well? Hit from the corners. The Knicks went 63.6% from corner three in Game 1, and they’ll try to keep those looks coming.
Injury Report
Boston still isn’t fully healthy. Hauser is doubtful with a sprained ankle, and Porzingis is probable after being sick in Game 1.
New York has no injuries to report.
Predictions
This will be another close one. But Boston *has* to win. If they go down 0-2 heading to Madison Square Garden, they’re in real trouble.
They’re still favored, and if Porzingis plays well and Tatum bounces back, the Celtics should pull this one out. But if those two don’t show up? The Knicks could take a commanding lead in the series.
Either way, New York already stole home-court advantage—and that’s huge.
