New York was on the road in Boston Monday night for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals. During the 2024-25 regular season, the Knicks were 0-4 vs. the Celtics.
Midway through the third quarter on Monday, the Knicks were down by 20 points. A timeout was called by Tom Thibodeau, and New York flipped a switch. Boston went cold, and the Knicks began making a comeback. Eventually, New York tied the game and forced OT. With three seconds left in OT, Boston had a chance to tie the game with a three. However, the Celtics inbounded the ball to Jaylen Brown, and it was then stolen by Knicks’ Mikal Bridges. His defensive effort sealed a win for the Knicks in Game 1.
The Knicks stole Game 1, 108-105 in OT on Monday night
MIKAL BRIDGES STEAL TO SEAL GAME 1 FOR THE KNICKS!!
20-POINT COMEBACK COMPLETE ✅ pic.twitter.com/us3Nq0Dykx
— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2025
In the third and fourth quarters, the Knicks outscored the Celtics 55-39. That’s how New York was able to complete a 20-point comeback. The Knicks never gave up on Monday evening and stayed focused on their goal. New York did what was needed for a comeback, and they got some extra help from the Celtics. Boston was 15-60 from beyond the arc. Their 60 attempted threes is a new NBA playoff record.
Additionally, Boston missed a postseason record 45 threes in one game. Credit is due to the Knicks for not giving up when they were down 20 points in the second half. When the Celtics went cold in the second half, the Knicks began to claw back. They were down just nine points by the start of the fourth. Jalen Brunson was clutch in the fourth quarter for New York. Brunson hit a pair of three-pointers to give the Knicks their first lead since the second quarter.
New York rallied in the second half and sent the game to OT. The Knicks were up 108-105 with three seconds left. Boston had enough time to inbound the ball and get off a clean look. The Celtics were able to get the ball to Jaylen Brown. However, Knicks’ Mikal Bridges ripped the ball from Brown’s hands and didn’t let Boston get a shot off. New York stole Game 1 in Boston thanks to Bridges’ outstanding defense on the final possession. Game 2 is Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. EST.
