Knicks edge Celtics in Game 1 thriller of East Semifinals
The New York Knicks clawed their way back from a 16-point halftime hole, forcing overtime and eventually gutting out a 108-105 victory over the defending champion Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals on Tuesday, May 6 (PH time), at TD Garden.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby carried the load for the Knicks, dropping 29 points apiece in a gritty all-around performance. Brunson also chipped in four rebounds, five assists, and two steals, while Anunoby added four boards, three dimes, and a crucial deflection down the stretch.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart stepped up big with double-doubles of their own—Towns finishing with 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Hart matching him with 14 markers and 11 boards, adding hustle plays that didn’t show on the stat sheet but shifted momentum. Off the bench, Miles McBride made the most of his minutes, firing 11 points and hauling in two rebounds in just 18 minutes of action.
The Celtics, for their part, leaned on Jayson Tatum’s monster stat line: 23 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and a block. He had solid support from Jaylen Brown, who also tallied 23 points along with seven boards and five dimes. Derrick White posted his own double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday added 16 points, six boards, and three assists.
Boston came out with poise, eking out a slim 26-25 lead after the first, then erupting in the second quarter with a 35-20 barrage that gave them a commanding 61-45 cushion at halftime.
But the Knicks never flinched.
They stormed back in the second half, flipping the script with a 53-39 counterpunch to send the game to overtime. The Celtics had a chance to end it in regulation, but Tatum's turnaround jumper missed its mark as time expired.
In the extra frame, the Knicks made sure not to waste their second wind. Towns tipped in a crucial miss to stretch the lead to 108-102. Brown answered with a clutch triple to cut it to three, but with the Celtics pushing for one last shot to tie, Brown coughed up the ball—sealing the gritty road win for New York.
Game 2 stays in Boston and tips off on Thursday, May 8 (PH time) at 7:00 AM.
Similar news
San Miguel Beermen made a statement in Game 4 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals, against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 107-82, on Wednesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
CJ Perez spearheaded the charge with a near-complete performance, tallying 19 points, five rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block in almost 35 minutes of action. His energy sparked a game-changing 17-0 run in the fourth quarter that broke the game wide open for the Beermen.
Juami Tiongson added 14 points, while June Mar Fajardo turned in another monster game with 12 markers, a game-high 19 boards, three dimes, two deflections, and a rejection.
San Miguel’s well-balanced offense saw five players score in double figures, including Jericho Cruz and Rodney Brondial with 12 apiece, and Don Trollano who chipped in 11.
Game 5 is set for Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with both powerhouse squads looking to seize control of the series and inch closer to a Finals berth.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel bounced back in style, securing a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals series with a 100-90 win over the San Miguel Beermen on Sunday, June 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
RJ Abarrientos came up huge with a near triple-double performance—24 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists—leading the Gin Kings back on top after dropping Game 2.
Jamie Malonzo added 20 points with four rebounds and two assists, while Japeth Aguilar chipped in 18 markers alongside seven boards, two dimes, three steals, and two blocks in a vintage two-way showing.
Ginebra also got key contributions from Scottie Thompson and Stephen Holt. Thompson tallied 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block, while Holt recorded 10 points, seven boards, and a deflection.
For San Miguel, Don Trollano kept them in the fight with 22 points and three rebounds. JuneMar Fajardo posted a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, along with three dimes and a block.
CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz added 11 points apiece, while Juami Tiongson rounded out the Beermen’s double-digit scorers with 10.
Ginebra edged SMB 23-20 in the opening quarter, but the Beermen fought back strong in the second to take a 50-46 halftime lead. That momentum didn't last, as Ginebra responded with a commanding 25-14 third period to retake control at 71-64, then sealed the win with a 29-26 finish in the final frame.
“I’m just real proud of the guys for steadying themselves,” said head coach Tim Cone. “We figured a couple of things out. I felt we played with a really good tempo, and then RJ played tremendous down the stretch to keep them at bay.”
Game 4 is set for Wednesday, July 2, at 5:00 PM at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters broke through in their best-of-seven semi-finals series in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup, taking Game 3 in dominant fashion with a 107-86 win over TNT Tropang 5G on Sunday, June 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Anton Asistio powered the Elasto Painters with a personal playoff-high 24 points off the bench. He also tallied six assists and a rebound in just under 29 minutes of action, going 7-of-9 from the field, 4-of-5 from three-point range, and 2-of-3 from the four-point arc.
Caelan Tiongson added 16 markers, four rebounds, one assist, and a block, while Keith Datu delivered a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double performance to go with two assists and a rejection.
Leonard Santillan contributed 12 points and eight rebounds, while Andrei Caracut chipped in 10 points, four assists, and four steals, helping Rain or Shine build early momentum and keep control through most of the game.
TNT, on the other hand, struggled without RR Pogoy, Jayson Castro, and Rey Nambatac. Calvin Oftana led the Tropa with 16 points and eight rebounds but registered a -22 plus-minus while shooting just 1-of-6 from deep. Simon Enciso and Glenn Khobuntin added 12 points each.