Knicks HC Got Better of Celtics Counterpart

If the New York Knicks had any hope of mounting a 2-0 lead over the favored Boston Celtics, they needed to combine their preparation with a little bit more of that luck that propelled them to their Game 1 win.

The Celtics, the NBA's most 3-point hungry team, wasn't guaranteed to shoot 15/60 in every game. Too many of their looks were open, even if they settled a lot more than others would have. If the Knicks wanted to expand on their advantage, they had to maintain their wing defense to keep Boston's stars pinned down and remember that no Boston lead is safe.

The away team fell down 20 points yet again on Wednesday, but made the third quarter interesting. The Celtics still didn't look sharp from deep, missing badly on some shots that could have easily been driven to the basket, while the Knicks stayed aggressive in their transition scoring and timely shotmaking.

New York star guard Jalen Brunson sat out the start of the fourth quarter, with his coach Tom Thibodeau getting his Clutch Player of the Year some rest before he'd likely need him again at the close. Mikal Bridges scored all 14 of his points at the start of that final frame, leading up to the tense final minutes that showed the disparity between how the two coaches handled crunch time.

It wouldn't be fair to say that the Knicks "baited" the Celtics into any ill-time 3-point chucks, but some of the shots the defending champs went with in desperately attempting to build their lead spurred some dumbfounded reactions from the audience. They made just 10/40 of their threes, managing a 25% hit rate that matched their Game 1 finish.

Thibodeau also took careful note of backup center Mitchell Robinson's positive effect in Game 1, using the big man as a rare heavily-utilized bench player with his rebounding hustle and quietly versatile defense.

He ate into Karl-Anthony Towns' minute load once again, offering tight contests on the perimeter, gritty work on the boards and an imposing presence inside. His poor free throw shooting wasn't always easy on the eyes, but the Celtics tried too hard to capitalize on this wrinkle. They kept fouling him until his team was in the bonus, where the Knicks managed to keep up with the Celtics at the free throw line in the closing minutes.

Robinson also made a huge play in Boston's last chance at the win, clamping Jayson Tatum at the top of the key where he's most comfortable. He funneled the star into a pull-up along the baseline, where multiple defenders collapsed before Mikal Bridges made another clutch stop.

"He was a +19, all their starters were in the negative"

Joe Mazzulla was asked about fouling Mitchell Robinson and getting him off the floor late in the game: pic.twitter.com/GYlsJ4mXbO
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 8, 2025

It helped Thibs' case that his Boston counterpart, Joe Mazzulla, failed to learn from his Game 1 mistakes. His team shot fewer threes this time around, but still passed up some considerably easier looks at the basket.

Their point hunting and lack of movement also played a part in that disastrous final possession, where Mazzulla passed on calling a timeout after New York's go-ahead free throws. Tatum dribbled the ball up while no other Celtic moved off the ball, Tatum passed on a potential midrange attempt before wandering into triple coverage, and Boston's potential mathematical shooting advantage couldn't save them for the second game in a row.

THAT'S GAME‼️ pic.twitter.com/vdjkJT4UMg
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 8, 2025

Championship-tested Mazzulla is now tasked with winning four of the next five games if he wants any hope of advancing to the conference finals, while Thibodeau, once seen as a major hot seat candidate to watch out for, gets to enjoy his next week playing in Madison Square Garden and his team's newly-earned 2-0 lead.

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