The New York Knicks have done it once again.
After needing three come-from-behind victories in their four wins in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Knicks erased a 20-point Celtics lead to steal Game 1 Monday on the road against Boston in overtime, 108-105.
The Knicks went on an extended 31-11 run from the middle of the third quarter until the middle of the final frame behind the play of the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year, point guard Jalen Brunson.
Then, in overtime, it was a team effort for the Knicks, who had three players score in the period.
The Celtics had the chance to tie the score in the final seconds of overtime, but forward Mikal Bridges swiped the ball out of Celtics forward Jaylen Brown’s hands as time expired.
Though he missed a would-be game-winning runner at the end of regulation, Brunson poured in 29 points — tying forward OG Anunoby for a game-high — on 9-of-23 shooting and added five assists and four rebounds.
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Anunoby was stellar on both ends and drained 6-of-11 shots from beyond the arc.
For the Celtics, it was an abysmal shooting night. Boston shot just 35.1% from the floor and converted just 15-of-60 tries (25%) from 3-point range. The 60 attempts and 45 missed 3s were both single-game NBA records in the playoffs.
Game 2 of the series will tip Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET from the TD Garden in Boston.
New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics series kicks off
The highly anticipated NBA playoff series between the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics got underway on Monday night in Boston.
The No. 2 seed Celtics took care of the Orlando Magic with relative ease in their opening-round matchup, while the No. 3 seeded Knicks needed six hard-fought games to eliminate the Detroit Pistons.
The Knicks figure to provide a little more defensive resistance than the Celtics faced vs. Orlando, with OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges likely matching up against top scorers Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Knicks will lean heavily on guard Jalen Brunson and center Karl-Anthony Towns in their bid to unseat the defending NBA champs.
The Celtics won all four of the regular-season meetings between the two.
Knicks vs. Celtics: Players to watch, predictions, Eastern Conference semifinal schedule
What time is Knicks vs. Celtics?
Game 1 between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics will tip off at 7 p.m. ET on May 5 at TD Garden in Boston.
How to watch Knicks vs. Celtics playoff game: TV, stream
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Time: 7 p.m. ET
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Location: TD Garden; Boston, Massachusetts
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TV: TNT
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Stream: Sling TV
Knicks vs. Celtics NBA playoff schedule, results
(All times ET)
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Game 1: Knicks 108, Celtics 105 (OT)
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Game 2: Knicks at Celtics | Wednesday, 7 p.m. | TNT
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Game 3: Celtics at Knicks | Saturday, May 10, TBD | ABC
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Game 4: Celtics at Knicks | Monday, May 12, TBD | ESPN
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Game 5: Knicks at Celtics | Wednesday, May 14, TBD | TNT*
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Game 6: Celtics at Knicks | Friday, May 16, TBD | ESPN*
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Game 7: Knicks at Celtics | Monday, May 19, 8 p.m. | TNT*
*if necessary
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Brunson, New York stun Boston in Game 1 OT comeback win
