Regardless of holding a 20-point lead halfway by means of the third quarter, the Boston Celtics collapsed down the stretch and noticed a Recreation 1 victory slip by means of their arms in a 108-105 additional time loss Monday evening in TD Backyard.
The Celtics missed an NBA playoff report 45 threes, and scored simply 16 factors within the fourth to drop their first sport to New York this season.
Whereas it appeared that a lot of the Celtics roster skilled some rust after six days off, Jayson Tatum clearly didn’t.
After Derrick White opened the scoring with a nook three, the opening body belonged to Tatum, who’s coming off of three straight 35-point performances. The ahead was assertive early, attending to the charity stripe early for a pair earlier than buying and selling triples with Deuce McBride.
Tatum was actually the one supply of offense for Boston as he scored eight-straight factors, capped off by receiving a landing outlet go from Jalyen Brown for a simple dunk. He stored the offense going by burying a 28-foot stepback triple over Mitchell Robinson.
The Knicks have been doing their finest to try to hold tempo with the Boston celebrity as McBride and OG Anunoby hit three-straight threes to take a 20-19 lead.
With slightly below three minutes remaining within the first, the remainder of the Celtics have been nonetheless having bother getting going as everybody moreover Tatum was taking pictures a mixed 2-14 from the sphere. That modified as soon as Prtichard stepped into a 3 to take a four-point lead.
However by the tip of the quarter, the Cs solely discovered themselves up one and in a little bit of a rock combat with New York. Because the second quarter started, the momentum began to shift even additional to Boston’s aspect.
Karl Anthony-Cities did get it going slightly bit to kickstart the second with a pair of jumpers, however he rapidly picked up his third foul and derailed a lot of the Knicks offensive assault.
With Cities now off the ground, Boston started to achieve a powerful management of the sport. With Robinson in as a substitute, the tempo slowed considerably as anytime New York bought going the Celtics despatched the large man to the road. Robinson shot a poor 2-8 from the charity stripe.
Jalen Brunson additionally struggled within the first half, committing simply as many fouls as pictures he made. Brunson’s solely triple got here after a hustle play by Josh Hart, who secured two-straight offensive rebounds to finally discover the guard broad open for 3.
New York head coach Tom Thibodeau opted to maintain Cities on the bench with three fouls, and whereas it could have been the proper resolution, it price the Knicks. Boston closed out the quarter on a 31-14 run, a lot to the thanks of Payton Pritchard and Brown, who scored 13 factors within the second. Pritchard outscored all the New York bench with 13 factors within the first half, pulling down two triples and was an ideal 5-5 from the road. Brown performed the position of nearer as he scored on every of Boston’s closing three possessions, giving his squad a 61-45 cushion heading into the halftime break.
Needing to chop into the lead and get again into Recreation 1, the third quarter went about as poorly because it probably may have for New York, and loads of it has to do with Cities.
Returning to the courtroom after stepping into some early foul bother, Cities was instantly confirmed to be ineffective in opposition to the Boston protection. The massive man was 0-4 with two turnovers and picked up his fourth foul because the Celtics constructed an 18-point lead.
The Knicks weren’t tapping out but although, however Boston most likely simply had as a lot to do with it. After taking a 75-55 lead, Boston went 0-4 from past the arc and New York went on a 9-0 run off of two Anunoby triples. Tatum helped to cease the run with two deep threes — his first factors for the reason that first quarter — however New York stored combating.
The momentum was clearly again on New York’s aspect as Deuce McBride opened the quarter with an enormous nook three to as soon as once more reduce the result in six. Everybody on Boston — not named Tatum — had as soon as once more gone chilly, beginning the quarter 0-4 as Cities reduce the result in 4 with a simple putback try.
Anunoby continued his large evening from deep, pulling down his fifth triple to chop the result in one. A number of performs later he would pressure a turnover and slam it residence on the opposite finish to tie the sport for the primary time for the reason that first half.
Now dealing with a playoff collapse in Recreation 1, the Celtics again have been in opposition to the wall, and similar to they’ve for a very long time, their position gamers stepped up. Horford stood tall on protection to reject Cities on the rim, and Boston instantly went the opposite technique to discover Vacation for a 3.
The comeback didn’t stall out although, Brunson made positive of it. The dynamic guard’s late sport heroics carried into the TD Backyard as he nailed two straight triples proper in Horford’s grill. Abruptly, after seeming useless within the water down 20, the Knicks discovered themselves up 97-93.
However the defending champs confirmed a few of that championship grit.
Boston answered with an emphatic 7-0 run, capped off with a 3 by White because the Backyard exploded. Regardless of lacking 40 threes, the Celtics have been up as soon as once more. The lead didn’t final lengthy although as Brunson this time dished it to OG within the nook and he hit his sixth three to take a 100-98 lead.
The Celtics continued to make profitable performs down the stretch to remain alive as Brown discovered Vacation within the low block for a simple layup, and White pulled down an enormous time board on the opposite finish with slightly below 30 seconds remaining to arrange a possible game-winner. Tatum couldn’t ship, regardless of being defended by Robinson, as he was compelled into a troublesome stepback three that didn’t fall.
On the opposite finish, Brunson obtained a fast go and had an open lane to the rim, floating up a shot that almost delivered an iconic second in Knick historical past — but it surely rattled out and in of the rim. With ust 0.6 seconds remaining, the Celtics have been left with a troublesome Tatum fadeaway shot that by no means had an opportunity.
To additional time we go.
And within the additional body, New York was in full management in enemy territory. Anunoby continued his robust sport with a bodily and-one dunk and Bridges, who performed practically 50 minutes, knocked down a nook three to take a 106-100 lead.
Tatum and Brown managed to seek out some offense, with Brown hitting a large three to chop the result in 108-105, however that’s the place the ultimate rating stayed as Bridges ripped the ball out of Brown’s arms on the sport’s final possession to seal the comeback victory.
Boston will look to even the sequence Wednesday evening in opposition to New York in TD Backyard. Tipoff set for 7:00 p.m.
