Knicks vs Celtics: Underdog Knicks Now in Command After Back-to-Back Wins

Knicks vs Celtics: Underdog Knicks Now in Command After Back-to-Back Wins

Let’s not sugarcoat it — nobody had this on their playoff bingo card. Not the fans, not the analysts, maybe not even the Knicks themselves. But here they are, flying back to New York with a 2-0 lead in this Knicks vs Celtics showdown against the defending NBA champions — and they earned every bit of it.

The Knicks didn’t just win two games in Boston — they erased two separate 20-point deficits to do it. In Game 2 on Wednesday night, just like in Monday’s opener, it looked like the Celtics had regained control. They had their rhythm back. The crowd was alive. The scoreboard showed a comfortable 73-53 lead with just over 14 minutes to go.

Then… it all unraveled.

Again.

The Knicks stormed back with a wild 23-6 run to steal the game 91-90 and left TD Garden in stunned silence. They didn’t just beat Boston — they broke them.

Game Plan? Keep Swinging Until Something Breaks

Boston came into Game 2 determined not to let history repeat itself. And for three quarters, it didn’t. Their offense was more balanced. Their defense looked organized. Jayson Tatum, though still not himself, was aggressive. The Celtics looked like the Celtics again.

But this Knicks team? They just don’t go away.

Even when Mikal Bridges had missed all eight of his shots entering the fourth. Even when Brunson sat briefly to rest. Even when the Celtics’ lead ballooned. The Knicks never blinked.

Instead, they did what they’ve done all year — leaned on effort, defense, and a little chaos.

Mikal Bridges: From Ice Cold to Red Hot

Let’s talk about Mikal Bridges.

For the first three quarters, he looked lost. Couldn’t hit a shot. Couldn’t find a rhythm. Looked more like a guy in a slump than a playoff hero. But in the fourth quarter, he came alive — and may have saved the Knicks’ season.

“I was in my own head,” Bridges said later. “But the guys kept riding me, yelling at me, pushing me. They wouldn’t let me hang my head.”

And he responded.

Bridges hit six of his ten shots in the fourth, pouring in 14 points in just one quarter. It wasn’t just that he scored — it was when. Every shot felt like a gut punch to the Celtics. Suddenly, the same guy who couldn’t buy a bucket was torching Boston’s defense.

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He even played the hero on the final possession — ripping the ball from Jayson Tatum and firing it ahead to Jalen Brunson as time expired.

“I just didn’t want to be the guy who disappeared,” Bridges said. “And my team made sure I didn’t.”

Brunson’s Calm Wins It — Again

If Bridges sparked the comeback, Jalen Brunson closed it.

The league’s newly crowned Clutch Player of the Year added another performance to his highlight reel. Nine points in the fourth, including the Knicks’ final six. None bigger than the two free throws with 12.7 seconds left that gave New York its one-point lead.

He then sealed the moment with a quiet finger to his lips, silencing the stunned Boston crowd as he dribbled out the final seconds.

“Just doing my job,” Brunson said after the game. “Staying in the moment.”

Simple words. Massive impact.

Robinson Is the Quiet X-Factor

While the headlines belong to Bridges and Brunson, don’t overlook Mitchell Robinson. The big man has been the Celtics’ worst nightmare this series.

He played just 22 minutes in Game 2 — but finished with a +19. Again.

He protected the rim like a lion guarding the den. He altered shots. He ate up rebounds. And he forced Joe Mazzulla to resort to intentional fouling in the second half, hoping to get him off the floor.

“They were trying to get rid of me,” Robinson joked. “That just means I’m doing something right.”

He’s doing a lot right. The Celtics have no answer for him inside. And the Knicks know it.

Celtics Have No Excuses This Time

Game 1 was easy to write off. Bad shooting night. Fluky collapse. Maybe a little rust.

Game 2? Not so much.

The Celtics missed 30 threes again (10-for-40). Their two stars — Tatum and Jaylen Brown — combined to shoot 6-for-21 in the fourth. They had another 20-point lead. And they blew it. Again.

Boston fans lingered in their seats long after the game ended, too stunned to move. They didn’t even boo. They just stared.

It was the Knicks fans, scattered through the arena, who made noise.

“Knicks in four!” they chanted with glee.

For a Celtics team used to bouncing back, this one stung.

Tatum’s Last Play Says It All

The final 12 seconds of the game told the whole story.

Tatum had a chance. He’d scored an enormous dunk just moments earlier that looked like it might be the game-winner. After a Knicks timeout and Brunson free throws, Boston had the ball with the game on the line.

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They tried to run the same action again — a high screen to free Tatum.

But OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson snuffed it out this time. No clean look. No open lane. Tatum was caught in the air near the baseline and had nowhere to go.

Bridges took the ball away.

Game over.

The Garden Is Waiting

Now the series shifts to New York, and Madison Square Garden is ready to explode.

There was always a belief that if the Knicks could just split in Boston, they could turn this into a fight. Now? They’ve stolen both games, and suddenly it’s the Celtics who are scrambling.

“MSG is gonna be electric,” Josh Hart said. “But we’ve got to stay focused. Nothing’s done yet.”

True. But this feels real now.

No one can call this a fluke anymore. Not after back-to-back comebacks. Not after stifling the league’s most dangerous offense. Not after winning both games in Boston.

Source: Knicks come back from 20 down again, up 2-0 on Celtics

The Vibe Has Shifted

The Knicks aren’t playing like an eighth seed. They’re playing like a team that knows who they are. A team that believes in each other. A team that just might be a problem in the East.

Meanwhile, Boston suddenly looks rattled.

The Celtics have been through playoff battles before. But this feels different. This feels like a team searching for answers it thought it already had.

“We’ve got to regroup,” Jaylen Brown said. “No one’s giving up. But this is not where we thought we’d be.”

Knicks vs Celtics: Underdog Knicks Now in Command After Back-to-Back Wins

Can Boston Recover

Of course, the series isn’t over. The Celtics are still the more talented team on paper. They’ve got the championship pedigree. They’ve got the scorers. They’ve got the bench.

But they don’t have momentum.

And for the first time in a while, they don’t look confident either.

They’ve got two days to figure it out. Because if they don’t, this series could end faster than anyone expected.

And the Knicks? They’re not just looking for another win.

They’re hunting a sweep.

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