The New York Knicks completed yet another 20-point comeback by putting together a 21-2 run in the fourth quarter and took a 2-0 series lead with a 91-90 Game 2 win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Wednesday night.
This team has shown that no deficit is too much to overcome.
“Always have the belief in each other,” said Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. “I think you get to the playoffs, it’s about your mental toughness, your defense and your teamwork and always having the belief that you can do something better to find a way to win. This team has been that way all season long and we dealt with Mitch being out more than the first half of the season and then Jalen took the injury in March … Timely plays but there was a lot of hustle plays in there as well.”
Jalen Brunson isn’t just the Clutch Player of the Year, he might be the Clutch Player of the Decade with the ice in veins yet again. He had eight points going into the fourth quarter and ended the game with 17, a clutch mid-range jumper, a stone-cold layup, a big-time three-pointer, and two free throws to clinch the victory.
“That’s Jalen,” Thibodeau said. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on in the game, he’s going to be at his best when his best is needed.”
“That’s the playoffs, you gotta keep fighting – every possession matters and you gotta play all 48 minutes,” Thibodeau said. “We started slowly, got in a big hole, dug our way out and then guys made a lot of tough plays. They were at their best when their best was needed down the stretch.”
The Knicks went on multiple runs throughout this game, instilling fear and anxiety in the Boston faithful. They went on an 11-4 run to close out the first half and an 11-3 run in the third, in addition to their massive fourth-quarter comeback.
New York finally had contributions from players other than Brunson,as Josh Hart led all scorers with 23 points, while shooting at a 60% clip. Karl-Anthony Towns poured in 21 points and snagged 17 rebounds, making a huge impact on the glass when the rest of the team struggled to grab boards.
Mikal Bridges scored all 14 points in the final frame, who was zero-for-eight from the field before the quarter. He also sealed the game yet again with a steal in the final seconds.
“One of the things I really respect about him is his demeanor,” Thibodeau said. “He just keeps marching forward … He’s a great competitor.”
The Knicks are the first team in the NBA over the last 25 seasons to come back from down 20 in back-to-back road games. Boston also set the record for the most three-point field goals missed over the course of Game 1 and Game 2 of a series with 75; 45 misses in Game 1, 30 misses in Game 2.
“People always talk about offensive runs, I think you go on defensive runs, as well,” Thibodeau said. “You also go on rebounding runs.”
New York’s two summer acquisitions have paid huge dividends for the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Both Bridges and Towns have made all the difference, which is what they envisioned when the Knicks made the two trades.
Despite their struggles from behind the arc, they’re reluctant to switch their playstyle.
Jayson Tatum has yet to get things going, as he makes just five-of-19 shots from the field for 13 points and was just one-for-five from three-point land.
New York has made the second-half adjustments, while Boston has not, and that’s been the difference in these two games.
“I mean we’re up two-zip,” Towns said regarding what it means to head back to MSG with a 2-0 series lead. “It doesn’t really mean anything.”
The Knicks head back to the Big Apple with a chance to take a commanding 3-0 lead in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
