Celtics-Knicks Game 2 Review: Deja Vu

Same place, same time, same teams, and same scenario. For those of you who don't believe that lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice, it did at the Boston Garden. At seven o'clock, with the same starting teams with the matchup concluded in comeback fashion, just like game one. The Celtics held the lead for almost the whole game until the final two minutes. That was when Jalen Brunson did what he does, crunching big deficits and winning games for the Knicks. Let me tell you how game two went between the Celtics and the Knicks in Boston.

Catching Fire Early, Burning Out Late

Just like in game one, the Celtics heated up in the beginning, then cooled down towards the end. They only made 10 out of 40 three-point shots for the whole game. Giving them the same three-point shooting percentage they had in game one, 25 percent. Those numbers also gave them a 36.2 shooting percentage from the field, which was only 1.1 percent better than the last game. Like game one, Kristaps Porzingis played, but not much. The Celtics would once again drift away from the game that they know best.

The leading scorers for the Celtics for the night were Derrick White and Jaylen Brown. Each of them scored just 20 points for the night. While each of them also shot just around 35 percent from the field and around 27 percent from three-point range. Jayson Tatum had a worse night with only 13 points and only made five of his nineteen shot attempts for the game. There were many times when they had good shot selections and set themselves up for decent shooting opportunities during the night, like in game two. But it seems like shooting from long range too much is the problem, which ended up giving the Knicks hope to string together another late-game comeback.

You Can Win Here, You Can Win Anywhere

By the time the New York Knicks took their first lead of the game. It was in the fourth quarter, with one minute and 58 seconds left to go, and the Knicks were on a 21-2 run. Overcoming another 20-point deficit just like in game one. Jalen Brunson scored nine of the team's fourth-quarter points, including a mid-range jumper that gave the Knicks their first lead of the game. Mikal Bridges scored all of his 14 points in the fourth quarter while coming up with the game-winning block on Jayson Tatum on the last shot attempt of the game. Making a great defensive play to win the game for the Knicks, just like in game one when he stripped the ball away from Jaylen Brown at the last play of the game.

One difference in this game was the bounce-back performance of Karl-Anthony Towns. Already matching his point total of 13 from game one by the second quarter. By the end of the game, Towns racked up 21 points and 17 rebounds. Earning his points through putbacks off the glass, post moves in the paint, and taking whoever was guarding him for a ride to the basket. Stepping up big for the Knicks like a traditional NBA big man. A 2-0 leg up in the series and now taking games three and four to New York gives the Knicks so much advantage over the defending world champions in the series. Nothing else is on New York's mind right now except sweeping the reigning champs.

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