Celtics-Knicks ending, explained: New York erases another 20-point lead for Game 2 win vs. Boston
Context:
The New York Knicks pulled off an impressive comeback against the Boston Celtics, overcoming a 20-point deficit for the second consecutive game to win 91-90 and gain a 2-0 lead in the playoff series. Mikal Bridges was instrumental in the victory, scoring all 14 of his points in the crucial fourth quarter, and helped the Knicks outscore the Celtics 30-17 in the final frame. Jalen Brunson's decisive free throws and Bridges' game-winning steal sealed the victory after a tense finish where a Jayson Tatum dunk briefly gave Boston the lead. Mitchell Robinson played a pivotal role defensively, finishing with a team-high +19, forcing the Celtics into fouling tactics to counter his impact. Despite having a timeout, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla chose not to use it, trusting his team's ability to execute, but they fell short as New York stole home-court advantage heading into Game 3 at Madison Square Garden.
Dive Deeper:
The Knicks achieved an unprecedented feat by coming back from a 20-point deficit in back-to-back playoff games, marking a historic moment in NBA playoff history as they took a 2-0 series lead against the Celtics.
Mikal Bridges was a key player in the Knicks' comeback, scoring all 14 of his points in the fourth quarter alone, which was crucial in the team outscoring the Celtics 30-17 in the final period.
The Knicks' offensive surge in the last 10 minutes, outscoring the Celtics 26-9, was complemented by Boston's poor shooting performance, setting a record for the most three-point misses in a two-game playoff stretch.
Jalen Brunson's clutch free throws and Mikal Bridges' consecutive game-winning steals were pivotal in securing the Knicks' narrow victory after Jayson Tatum briefly gave Boston the lead with a late dunk.
Mitchell Robinson's defensive prowess was significant, as he was a team-high +19 on the night and forced the Celtics into strategic fouls to neutralize his impact, highlighting his crucial role despite his free throw struggles.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla's decision not to call a timeout in the final seconds was based on confidence in the team's ability to replicate a successful play, but the attempt was thwarted by the Knicks' defense.
Jayson Tatum struggled offensively, shooting only 5-19 from the field and 1-5 from three-point range, further complicating Boston's efforts to regain control of the series as they face a 2-0 deficit.
The Knicks did it again.
For the second-straight game, New York erased a 20-point lead in the second half against the Celtics, defeating Boston 91-90 and taking a 2-0 lead back to New York. This marked the first time a team came back from down by 20 points in back-to-back playoff games to win.
While the ending wasn't exactly the same as Monday night, it did have many similar elements, including the Celtics' offense going cold and the Knicks securing a game-winning steal. It all adds up to New York emphatically stealing home-court advantage as the second-round series heads to Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
Here's how the Knicks survived another thriller.
Celtics-Knicks Game 2 ending, explained
The Knicks comeback was sparked by Mikal Bridges, who scored all 14 of his points in the fourth quarter, helping New York outscore Boston 30-17 in the final frame. However, this comeback was much slower than Game 1's comeback, as the Celtics were up 73-53 late in the third and the Knicks didn't take the lead until there were two minutes left in the game.BRIDGES CATCHING FIRE IN THE 4TH đ„
He's got 13 in the quarter... now just an 8-point game on TNT đ pic.twitter.com/fSn1sivbD9â NBA (@NBA) May 8, 2025 In the final 10 minutes of action, the Knicks outscored the Celtics 26-9, as Boston struggled again offensively. Boston only shot 10-of-40 from deep and has now produced the most three-point misses in a two-game stretch in NBA playoff history.
It seemed as though the Celtics were going to escape when a Jayson Tatum dunk put Boston up by one with 18.1 seconds left. However, Jalen Brunson drew a foul on the other end and drilled two free throws to put them up by one before Mikal Bridges secured his second-straight game-winning steal.
TATUM DUNK FOR THE LEAD âŒïž
Boston leads by 1 looking to even the series on TNT đżđż pic.twitter.com/RoPFqIUrThâ NBA (@NBA) May 8, 2025
BRUNSON HITS TWO FREE THROWS.
BRIDGES TAKES THE BALL AWAY.
KNICKS TAKE 2-0 SERIES LEAD. pic.twitter.com/NbyRwQri9Oâ NBA (@NBA) May 8, 2025 The game was such a stunner, even Brunson acknowledged how unbelievable the comeback was.
"That's some wild stuff right there," he told Allie LaForce after the game.
"That's some wild stuff right there..."
Yes it is, Jalen. https://t.co/MirKP7w4hu pic.twitter.com/KZe8PYx25fâ NBA (@NBA) May 8, 2025 Mitchell Robinson also had a huge game for New York, as he was a team-high +19 on the night and anchored the Knicks' defense. He was so effective that he forced the Celtics to burn two fouls in an attempt to get him to the free throw line, where he has struggled in his career, before the Knicks subbed him out.
"He was a +19, all their starters were in the negative"
Joe Mazzulla was asked about fouling Mitchell Robinson and getting him off the floor late in the game: pic.twitter.com/GYlsJ4mXbOâ Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 8, 2025 While the Celtics had a timeout left, they didn't call it ahead of the final play of the game. Head coach Joe Mazzulla explained that was because they trusted the team to run the same play he just called a possession before.
"Tried to execute the exact same thing, they did a better job...we weren't able to get the advantage that we had on the last Tatum dunk," he said.
Coach Mazzulla explains why he didn't call a timeout with 12 seconds left in Game 2 pic.twitter.com/S0Ka02ohxM
â NBA TV (@NBATV) May 8, 2025 Tatum had another quiet game, totaling just 13 points on 5-19 shooting, including 1-5 from beyond the arc. He has now shot just 5-20 from deep in the second round after shooting 34.3 percent from three during the regular season.
For the Celtics to get back into the series, they will have to find a way to right the ship down 2-0 in a series for the first time in two years.
Celtics-Knicks schedule
Date Game Time TV Channel May 5 Game 1: Knicks 108, Celtics 105 -- -- May 7 Game 2: Knicks 91, Celtics 90 -- -- May 10 Game 3: Knicks vs. Celtics 3:30 p.m. ABC May 12 Game 4: Knicks vs. Celtics 7:30 p.m. ESPN May 14 Game 5: Celtics vs. Knicks TBD TNT May 16 Game 6: Knicks vs. Celtics 8:00 p.m. ESPN May 19 Game 7: Celtics vs. Knicks 8:00 p.m. TNT