Game Recap: 2025 NBA Playoffs Round 2, Game 2 – NYK at BOS; NYK: 91, BOS: 90

An arena filled with Celtics fans, green, white, and mum. Stomachs churning. Tears splashing. And then, there were speckles of orange and blue on the seats.

Suddenly, an alarm went off. Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson were answering questions from the media while Hart was waiting for his Uber Eats delivery when an elevator fire broke out inside TD Garden.

It wasn’t the only elevator fire that occurred on Wednesday night.

The Knicks were leading Boston 91-90 with 12.7 seconds remaining in regulation, and Boston opted not to use their final timeout. Jayson Tatum dribbled the basketball through the top of the key as Mitchell Robinson forced him toward the left post. Then, Tatum faded into the left short corner as he tried to pass the ball to Al Horford, but Robinson, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges attacked him from three different angles, trapping him in the left corner. Bridges grabbed Tatum’s pass attempt in midair and hurled the ball away.

Elevator Tatum erupted in flames.

I’m not sure how, and I’m not sure why, but in Game 2 on Wednesday night, the New York Knicks scored their fewest points in any game this season, but still beat the Boston Celtics 91-90 to take a 2-0 series lead.

It is difficult to fathom how the Knicks overcame a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter in consecutive games against the defending NBA champions, who twice shot 25% from three-point range in their building. And how both games ended in single-possession scores thanks to steals from Mikal Bridges. But the Knicks are in the Celtics’ heads now. If it wasn’t true after Game 1, it is now.

I will not deny that the Knicks are feasting on Boston’s injuries. Jayson Tatum has been visibly playing through an injured wrist, and Kristaps Porzingis has been battling an illness. Entering this series, I wasn’t sure the Knicks would be able to defend Boston behind the arc, and while they have left many Celtics players open from three-point range, those players have just as often missed their shots. While there has consistently been space available for Boston to move into the paint to make shots, the Knicks have done an excellent job of disrupting their flow. Boston hasn’t been able to adjust.

Overall, the Knicks have effectively defended the interior areas of the court, forcing Boston to the perimeter. However, the Knicks have struggled to score early in games. “When it’s looking bad,” said Karl-Anthony Towns, “That’s when you have to believe in each other most. And we did that, again.”

Confidence was the difference-maker in Game 2. When both teams were shooting poorly from the field, it was the Knicks who stepped up in the fourth quarter. Again. “We know when it gets close, we’re very comfortable,” said Josh Hart.

It wasn’t just Jalen Brunson who helped the Knicks come back, although he was responsible for the game-winning free throws. It was defense, particularly by OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. “[The players] were at their best when their best was needed down the stretch,” head coach Tom Thibodeau remarked.

“OG’s been off the charts,” said the veteran Knick PJ Tucker. “I don’t know how he didn’t win Defensive Player of the Year. I don’t think it’s even close. I think he’s the best two-way player in the league. Anunoby only received one vote for Defensive Player of the Year, but he has been just that for the Knicks throughout this postseason.

Regarding Mikal Bridges, “he just keeps marching forward,” said Tom Thibodeau. “He doesn’t get too high; he doesn’t get too low. He’s a great competitor.” Mikal Bridges hasn’t been the offensive player Knicks fans hoped he’d be in the orange and blue, especially after sending Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota. However, Bridges’ defense has been as advertised: Brilliant. “It’s always great to get a win, especially when you battled all night the way we did,” Bridges said.

This Knicks team was constructed to compete with the Celtics, and while they have struggled offensively in Games 1 and 2 of this second-round series, they have excelled on the other side of the ball. I always say defense wins championships, and if the Knicks want to at least win this second-round series, they must defend their way to the Eastern Conference Final.

Next, Mitchell Robinson’s presence has made the Knicks’ defense a formidable unit. Robinson finished Game 2 with a game-high +19 rating, and no one else came close. He recorded eight rebounds, three steals, and six points in 22 minutes off the bench. “Just be better than the last game,” said Robinson when asked about his mindset in Game 2. “Came in with high energy because I knew they would come out aggressive. I had to make some adjustments myself.”

The Knicks removed Robinson from the game before entering the bonus because he went 3-10 from the free-throw line in Game 1. “Actually, that makes me feel like I’m a threat,” Robinson remarked.

Make no mistake, Boston will make life very difficult for the Knicks in Game 3 tomorrow. It will be the toughest game for the Knicks in these playoffs thus far, but the World’s Most Famous Arena will be rocking. And when the Garden gets going…

Game 3 is scheduled for tomorrow at 3:30 PM (ABC).