Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

NBA Playoffs Celtics vs Knicks Game 1: New York Drops One of Their Biggest Playoff Comebacks to Stun Defending Champions in Overtime

Mikal Bridges's buzzer-beating steal denied Boston any potential chance to tie the game.

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks overcame a 20-point deficit to beat the Boston Celtics 108-105 in overtime and take a decisive 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals series. The Knicks, who lost eight out of nine games against the defending champions, denied Boston a win in series opener through second-half comeback. It was the Celtics’ fifth playoff defeat against the Knicks in last seven games.

OG Anunboy and Jalen Brunson both scored 29 points each for the Knicks. Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns added 14 apiece in double-double. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 23 points and set a playoff franchise record with 16 defensive rebounds. Jaylen Brown dropped 23 points, while Derrick White added 19, including 11 rebounds.

MIKAL BRIDGES STEAL TO SEAL GAME 1 FOR THE KNICKS!!

20-POINT COMEBACK COMPLETE ✅ pic.twitter.com/us3Nq0Dykx
— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2025

Also Read: New York Knicks Playoff History- What Does the Knicks’ Playoff Record Look Like?

Fourth Quarter Surge and Holding Nerves in OT Helps New York to Roll Past Boston

Jayson Tatum scored 13 out of the Celtics’ 26 points in opening quarter. Knicks took an early 33-31 lead in the second but Boston sparked a 13-5 run to take a 44-38 lead. Celtics extended the lead to 16 points at half, thanks to a late 8-0 run.

New York went on a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to 11 points and Boston held a 84-75 lead heading to the fourth quarter. Jalen Brunson scored all 8 points in the Knicks’ 8-0 run, taking a crucial 6-point lead in the game. Jrue Holiday dropped a layup shot to tie the game in the final seconds. Tatum had a chance to win it for Boston but he missed a three-pointer at the buzzer and match went into overtime.

BRUNSON WAS THIS CLOSE TO WINNING IT 😱@nyknicks 100@celtics 100

Game 1 is heading to OT on TNT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/8WKf9sozgO
— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2025

New York Knicks went on a 8-2 run in overtime to take complete control of the game. Jaylen Brown’s 3-pointer with 1:16 left helped the Celtics to cut the deficit to three points. Mikal Bridges’s buzzer-beating steal denied Boston any potential chance to tie the game. It was second consecutive overtime clash between two as the Celtics won previous game in overtime on Apr. 08.

Also Read: Kenny Atkinson Clinches NBA Coach of the Year Award After Leading Cavaliers to 64 Wins

The Knicks had a 1.7% chance to win with 5:47 left in the third, as per ESPN analytics. It was one of the biggest blown leads in Celtics postseason history. The Celtics were 64-0 after taking 20-point lead in a playoff game but suffered an unexpected defeat.

Boston had a terrible 3-point shooting in Game 1 with 25%. The Celtics had the most misses from three (45) in an NBA Playoffs game ever. The defending champions went 35.1% from the floor and their star player, Jayson Tatum shot 7-of-23. Jaylen Brown managed nine points after halftime and went 1-for-10 from beyond the arc. The Knicks outscored the Celtics 55-39 in the second half to force a overtime.

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.