NBA Playoff Takeaways: Knicks Edge Celtics for the 2-0 series lead after he returned from 20 downwards

A 20-point deficit, a one-sided gate run and a Mikal-Brücken steal the victory to die. Again.

In this way, game 2 went on Wednesday in the TD Garden between the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics. It is also nearby how game 1 played, and it led to a shocking 2-0 lead for New York.

The Knicks, who wanted to overcome their second 20-point deficit in a row, drove 12 into the last framework. They lowered the deficit to seven points with around five minutes before playing and four points near the three -minute brand. A Karl Anthony cities and 1 with 2 1/2 minutes brought New York within one. And the NBA coupling player of the year, Jalen Brunson, gave the Knick her first tour of the night with less than two minutes.

Bridges, who did not score points in the first three quarters, ended with 14 points. Josh Hart went up and down with 23, the cities with 21 and Brunson 17.

The Celtics put together another uncharacteristic shooting evening, which with 34-against-94 (36.2 percent) on field gates and 10 against 40 (25 percent) to 3S.

Derrick White and Jaylen Brown each had 20 points for the Celtics, and Jayson Tatum ended at 13 after only scoring two points in the first half.

Game 3 is on Saturday in New York.

Brunson hits two free throws.

Bridges takes the ball away.

Knicks take the lead 2-0 series. pic.twitter.com/nbyrwqri9o

– NBA (@nba) May 8, 2025

Déjà vu

This is Déjà VU in basketball form. Boston was on his home floor with 20 against Knicks in game 2, just like in game 1. The same result: New York wins.

The heartbones always find ways to win despite unusual crimes. The defense has done just enough and Boston has summarized more than fans than fans between the two historical franchise companies, which they have caused to blow large leads in a row.

Now New York is going home with a 2-0 lead against the defending champions who continue to look rattling in the most pressure on the most pressure, because their 3-ball does not fall .——— James Edwards III, Knicks Beat Writer

Tatum has to find its reason

Tatum scored an average of 33.5 points per game against the Knicks during the regular season. Much of the discussion in this series was about how they had no answers for him. In two games, the dominance of the Celtics star of the regular season has given way to playoff problems.

Game 2 turned into a disaster for him. He ended the game with only 13 points in 5-against-20 shooting and was missing four out of five 3 points, five out of nine attempts in color and all five of his other two-point attempts. With less than four minutes, he fell wrong in a 3 pointer on the open corner, which would have brought the Celtics into the lead by nine points. Two minutes later he wiped a Fadaway sweater with the lead of the Celtics on one. He briefly flirted with his first single-digit Nach season goal since 2021 before finally reaching double-digit free throws in the last minute.

After led to the Celtics with 18.5 seconds when he had a complete place for a clutch slam dunk, he completed the collapse of his team by committing sales for the last property of his team after two free throws from Brunson re-advance the kinks.

Boston needs more of Tatum. Much more. – Jay King, Celtics Beat Writer

Therefore the Knicks bridges

For this reason, the Knicks exchanged four unprotected first round. And another protected. And an exchange in the first round. It was not the case because they thought that bridges were a future MVP that was worth a decline in other offers for superstars of the past. It was because he was the piece she had exaggerated. Due to the defense, he did not always show in the regular season that he was not even presented by game 2 until the last quarter.

But that's why they wanted him. Bridges scored 14 points for 14 points in fourth, when the Knicks brought back for a second game in a row of 20 after they failed in the first three quarters.

For a second game in a row, he demolished the biggest defensive game of the Knicks season and this time deleted a crime shot that could have won for Boston.

Bridges makes up an up-and-down season in the loudest way. – Fred Katz, Senior NBA writer

Celtics cannot rely on 3-point shooting to turn series

Do you remember the Celtics? The team that won a title by buried the world under an avalanche of 3. The squad, which always had an insulting answer for every scenario, with a line filled with stars full of goal scorers in every phase of the game.

Well, this team does not answer the bell at the moment. The Celtics look like the type of defending champion, who reminds them of why we rarely “repeat”. They look tired, simple and simple.

You can easily fix it. They lost both games at Walk-Off Defensive games from Bridges. Although they collapse, the gap is tiny and the entire identity of the Celtics is to open these gaps. But they don't look like this at the moment and turning around means something has to change. – Jared Weiss, Celtics Beat Writer

(Photo: Brian Babineau / Nbae about Getty Images)