The New York Knicks aren’t just winning the Eastern Conference Semifinals 2-0 against the defending champion Boston Celtics, they’re doing so with authority and breaking records. Led by forward Mikal Bridges, the Knicks appear headed to the conference finals and even the NBA championship series.
The Knicks entered this series as underdogs, but they’ve already won the first two games on the road at TD Garden. The wins weren’t easy, but they achieved them similarly: overcoming 20-point deficits in the third quarter and with masterful defensive plays from Bridges.
The seven-year veteran stole the ball from Jaylen Brown to secure a 108-105 overtime win in Game 1. Meanwhile, in Game 2, Bridges stole a ball from Jayson Tatum that proved critical in Wednesday’s 91-90 victory.
The Knicks’ record
New York has dominated Boston from end to end of the court so far. The defending champions have had the ball most of the time, but the Knicks have scored the points, with a cumulative score of 68-38 in their favor in the fourth quarter and overtime of these games.
Furthermore, according to a statistic shared by Noa Dalzell on “The Hoop Collective” podcast, the Knicks have only led for 12 minutes so far in the series. According to Dalzell, this is the first time a team has taken a 2-0 lead with so few minutes in the driver’s seat.
It’s now or never for Boston
With this playoff series moving into Game 3, this is when head coach Joe Mazzulla must make the necessary adjustments to counter the Knicks’ overdrive in the final minutes of the game.
Game 3 will be played this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden in New York City. A Knicks victory on their home turf would virtually wrap up the series, as no team has recovered from a 3-0 deficit.
Read the full article here
