Playoff Game Preview: Knicks at Celtics, Game Two, May 7, 2025
In case you live under a rock, the Knicks put together one of the most inspiring wins of the last fifty years for the franchise at TD Garden on Monday.
Facing a twenty point hole halfway through the third quarter, New York battled and bruised their way to a hard fought overtime victory. Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby led the way on the offensive side of things, but it was Mikal Bridges who stole the spotlight in overtime, making some key defensive plays including a game-clinching steal from Jaylen Brown as time expired.
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The Celtics shot 15-for-60 from long range, setting the NBA playoff record for most three point misses by a wide margin. Poetic, considering what game one of the regular season looked like.
New York is now up 1-0 in the best-of-seven, and has flipped homecourt advantage in their favor in a series in which no one expected them to win.
Their reward? They get to do it all again tonight. Game 2. Boston. 7:00 PM tip.
It's hard to stay grounded after a remarkable Game 1 win. On one hand, the Knicks finally proved after some poor regular season play that they can hang with these guys. It's possible. There's a blueprint for victory. On the other hand, Boston is… well, still Boston. They're the reigning champions. They're still heavy favorites to win the series. There's still a long series ahead.
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We'll see tonight if the Knicks can give the Celtics another run for their money.
The Knicks are on the more favorable end of the injury report. From the starting unit to the end of the bench, all fifteen guys are good to go.
The Celtics can't say the same, however. Kristaps Porzingis, who left Game 1 with a non-Covid illness, is probable to go tonight. Sam Hauser, the C's flamethrowing wing, is listed as doubtful. He plays a big role off of the bench, and it'll be interesting to see how Boston replaces his minutes if he indeed misses tonight's game.
The Knicks could really flip the NBA world upside down with a win tonight. I didn't have much faith heading into Monday. Now, they've given us a reason to believe.
Game Details
Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2025
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Time: 7:00 PM ET
Venue: TD Garden, Boston, MA
TV Broadcast: TNT
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
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