Knicks vs. Celtics Game 2 takeaways as Knicks lead series, 2-0
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks celebrates a three-point basket against the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Second Round series on Wednesday, Credit: Getty Images/Maddie Meyer
1. Mikal Bridges takes his time and Knicks fans are just going to have to wait
Bridges started off Game 1 shooting 2-for-12, banked in a corner three in overtime and then made a game-saving steal at the buzzer, ripping the ball loose from Jaylen Brown. So we shouldn’t have been surprised when he was 0-for-8 through three quarters Wednesday in Game 2. But he then piled on 14 points in the fourth quarter and came away with the game-saving stolen pass off Jayson Tatum, triggering another wild celebration.
“Just everything with my teammates, man,” Bridges said. "They helped me up throughout . . . me missing every shot until that point. It’s really, truly been them just holding me together and keeping me mentally right and just telling me to keep going. And I think coach also is just trusting me, putting that confidence in me. But man, it’s really my teammates and my coaches, man. They really held me up.“
They might have to hold up Knicks fans, too, if this is the way it’s going to be every night.
2. Did we mention that Jalen Brunson is pretty good in the clutch?
Brunson also was struggling much of the game, shooting 3-for-13 from the floor over the first three quarters. And then in the final minutes he gave the Knicks their first lead of the night with 1:59 left with an 18-footer and followed that by drawing a foul on Jrue Holiday with 12.7 seconds left to give the Knicks the lead for good.
“We know when it gets close at the end of the game, a one-possession game we’re very comfortable,” Josh Hart said. “We’ve got Captain Clutch.”
3. Home away from home
The Knicks have now won five consecutive road games in the postseason. It's the first time that they’ve done that in their history. And it’s not just the streak, but that they’ve blocked out hostile crowds and come up with huge plays at the end of games to pull them out.
Now, they return to Madison Square Garden where they lost two games to Detroit in the first round.
“It’s very important, going home we know the opportunity we have,” Brunson said. “We have to make sure we’re locked in. Making sure our mindset is the same.”
“That’s the beauty of the playoffs,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “You can’t get wrapped up in the emotions of it. I think it’s important, you look forward to the next game but to understand it’s a series but you have to focus on the games you’re playing. What does it take to win that game. So we know each game, there’s going to be more force and more aggression and we have to be ready for that. So all that we have to do is make sure that we’re focusing on what it’s going to take to win Game 3.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
