The New York Knicks secured a narrow 91-90 victory over the Boston Celtics, overcoming a 20-point deficit. Mikal Bridges was pivotal, scoring all 14 of his points in the fourth quarter and making a crucial steal to seal the win.
Jalen Brunson added 17 points, including two decisive free throws with 12.7 seconds left. The Knicks now lead the Eastern Conference semifinals 2-0.
Despite their shooting woes, the Celtics managed to gain momentum late in the third quarter. A defensive surge led to a 16-6 run, turning their 10-point lead into a 73-53 advantage. However, they struggled in the final period, failing to score for over eight minutes until Jayson Tatum’s dunk with just 18.5 seconds remaining.
Josh Hart contributed significantly with 23 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double-double with 21 points and 17 rebounds for New York. The Knicks will host Game 3 on Saturday, aiming to extend their series lead further.
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White each scored 20 points for Boston. However, their team struggled from beyond the arc, hitting only 10 of their 40 attempts after going just 15 for 60 in Game 1. Tatum was limited to just 13 points on poor shooting.
Kristaps Porzingis did not start due to illness but came off the bench for only the fifth time in his career. He finished with eight points and four rebounds in just 14 minutes of playtime.
The Knicks had previously won Game 1 when Bridges stole the ball from Brown in overtime’s final second. Historically, teams that win the first two games on the road have an impressive success rate of advancing in best-of-seven series.
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Thunder’s Record-Breaking Performance
The Oklahoma City Thunder delivered a commanding performance against the Denver Nuggets, winning decisively at 149-106 and tying their Western Conference semifinal series at one game each. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led with an impressive display, scoring 34 points within three quarters.
The Thunder set an NBA playoff record by scoring an unprecedented 87 points in the first half. This surpassed Cleveland’s previous record of 86 against Golden State during the NBA Finals on June 9, 2017.
Nuggets’ Struggles
Chet Holmgren redeemed himself after missing key free throws in Game 1 by sinking two crucial ones at the end of the second quarter to set this new record. Oklahoma City also matched Milwaukee’s record for most points scored in any half during a playoff game.
Nikola Jokic was limited to just 17 points and eight rebounds before fouling out late in the third quarter. Russell Westbrook led Denver with only19 points amidst mixed reactions from fans upon entering Game Two as a reserve player.
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The Thunder’s remarkable shooting accuracy saw them finish at an impressive rate of over seventy percent from field goals during this game’s opening quarter alone-setting yet another franchise milestone along way towards securing victory against Denver Nuggets ahead next matchup scheduled Friday night back home court advantage awaits them there too!