The NBA playoffs kicked off the second round Monday, May 5, with a pair of upsets that had the top teams in stunned disbelief. The Boston Celtics, the second seed in the Eastern Conference, had a 20-point lead on the New York Knicks and looked in control until it all fell apart.
How did the Boston Celtics’ lead disappear?
Inexplicably, the Celtics kept shooting three-pointers in the second half, and those shots did not go in. As the final buzzer sounded, they missed an NBA playoff-record 45 threes. That allowed the Knicks to put together a great comeback and send the game into overtime.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each scored 29 points for New York. With one second to go in overtime, Mikal Bridges stole the ball from Celtics guard Jaylen Brown to seal the 108-105 win. The Knicks now have home court advantage for the rest of the series. Guard Jalen Brunson said defense was the key.
“We told each other just keep believing and just keep fighting, sticking together and keep chipping away,” Brunson said. “Now, it wasn’t just going to be a 20-point shot where you can just come back. We got to keep chipping away possession by possession and then just find a way to keep getting stops.”
The comeback is the third-largest deficit closed in NBA playoff history. In 2019, the Los Angeles Clippers stunned Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors by erasing a 31-point lead to win and tie their first-round series at one win apiece.
What was the Celtics’ reaction to the loss?
Jaylen Brown and the Celtics beat the Knicks in all four games of the regular season. They are now in danger of falling behind 2-0 at home on Wednesday, May 7. Brown said they’ll likely have a different game plan if they get another big lead.
“In those moments when the other team got momentum, we can’t just fire up threes,” Brown said. “You know, to break up momentum, you got to get to the free throw line, get to the paint, get to the basket, maybe get an easy two, you know what I mean? Hit some free throws, and then maybe the next three-pointer feels a little bit better. I felt like we just settled in the second half, a lot.”
How did the Denver Nuggets pull off their comeback?
In the Western Conference, the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder also lost its home court advantage. They had a 13-point fourth-quarter lead over the Denver Nuggets Monday night, May 5, only to see the 2023 champions go on a 19-6 run to end the game.
In the final seconds, Thunder center Chet Holmgren missed two free throws. That opened the door for Denver’s Aaron Gordon to hit a three-pointer with 2.8 seconds left, giving the Nuggets an improbable 121-119 win. Gordon also won a game in the first round against the Los Angeles Clippers with a last-second putback.
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So far, 30% of games in the NBA playoffs have been decided by three points or fewer.
“We just didn’t want to miss the moment, didn’t want to miss the opportunity; we knew that if we waited, it may be too late,” Gordon said. “I’m glad we showed our mettle, our grit, but we’re not satisfied.”
How well did MVP candidate Nikola Jokic play?
The game-winning shot overshadowed the performance of MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, who had 42 points and 22 rebounds. He’s just the fourth player in history to have at least 40 points, 20 rebounds and five assists in a playoff game. Of course, Jokic wanted to talk about Gordon.
“He is the soul of this team,” Jokic said. “He probably doesn’t get as much respect as he deserves. But I think he doesn’t need it.”
On Tuesday night, May 6, the NBA scene shifts to Cleveland, where the top-seeded Cavaliers trail their best-of-seven series with Indiana. In the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors travel to Minnesota to play game one of their series with the Timberwolves.
