Could you ask for more drama out of a Game 1? After the Boston Celtics built a 20-point lead, the New York Knicks stormed back in the fourth quarter to take the lead. A back-and-forth final five minutes found the Knicks with a chance to win it:
As overtime ensued, the Celtics went scoreless for the first 2:50 of the extra frame, while New York went up by six. It never looked back as Boston could not buy a bucket from deep, missing 45 total threes in the game, an NBA playoff record. Home court advantage now goes to New York.
OG Anunoby ($6,100, 42 FPTS) led the comeback with his elite defense and excellent scoring, pouring in 29 points on the night. Jalen Brunson ($8,500, FPTS) poured it on in the clutch as usual, scoring 11 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter to seal the comeback. New York also got a double-double out of Josh Hart ($6,800, 37.75 FPTS) as they it to recover from Karl-Anthony Towns ($8,000, 32.75 FPTS) and his foul troubles throughout the game.
Jayson Tatum ($9,000, 59 FPTS) led the way as usual for Boston with his 23/16/6 stat line, but his 11 missed threes will keep him up tonight. Jaylen Brown ($7,000, 38.75 FPTS) produced in the box score with 23/7/5, but went 1-for-10 from deep. Derrick White ($6,500, 42.75 FPTS) managed a double double with 19 points and 11 boards but also went cold from beyond the arc. Speaking of cold, Kristaps Porzingis ($6,300, 6 FPTS) left the game due to illness and didn’t return for the second half or extra frame.
The Celtics now face what feels like a must-win game on Wednesday, seeking to avoid a 2-0 deficit before going to New York. Boston opens as a -9.5 favorite with the total set at 211.
