Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the game against the New York Knicks during Round 2 Game 2 on May 7, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Brian Babineau, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP 

BOSTON, MA - MAY 7: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the game against the New York Knicks during Round 2 Game 2 on May 7, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE   Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Brian Babineau / NBAE / Getty Images / Getty Images via AFP)

2025 NBA Playoffs - New York Knicks v Boston Celtics - Game Two

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1746935367076AFP__20250508__2213327737__v1__Preview__2025NbaPlayoffsNewYorkKnicksVBostonCelticsGa.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the game against the New York Knicks during Round 2 Game 2 on May 7, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Brian Babineau, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the game against the New York Knicks during Round 2 Game 2 on May 7, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. <em>Brian Babineau, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP </em></span></span></span></div><p>NEW YORK — Defending NBA champion Boston overpowered New York 115-93 on Saturday, dominating to the finish after squandering 20-point leads to lose two prior playoff games to the Knicks.</p><p>Payton Pritchard, the 2025 NBA Sixth Man of the Year as the top reserve player, led Boston&#x27;s blowout with 23 points while Jayson Tatum added 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.</p><p>Jaylen Brown had 19 points and Derrick White scored 17.</p><p>No team has ever rallied from 0-3 down to win a series, a fact the Celtics knew all too well.</p><p>&quot;We understood the magnitude of this game,&quot; Tatum said. &quot;We needed this one. Didn&#x27;t like the way we felt after last game so just coming out here with the right mindset, just trying to put it all together.&quot;</p><p>The visiting Celtics pulled within 2-1 in their NBA second-round playoff series and can equalize the best-of-seven Eastern Conference matchup by winning game four on Monday at Madison Square Garden.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/5/9/nba-champs-boston-in-trouble-after-letting-big-leads-slip-1244">&#x27;Inexcusable&#x27;: NBA champs Boston in trouble after letting big leads slip<br/></a></div><p>&quot;We understand Monday is going to be a great atmosphere, a big game. It&#x27;s going to be fun,&quot; Tatum said.</p><p>&quot;Just coming out with the right mindset, understanding we played better but we can play a lot better based on a lot of things we did we really didn&#x27;t like tonight. So just building off that.&quot;</p><p>Coming off two woeful games of three-point shooting, the Celtics made 20-of-40 from beyond the arc in game three, Pritchard sinking 5-of-10 three-point shots, Tatum making 5-of-9 and Al Horford hitting 3-of-4.</p><p>&quot;We made some shots,&quot; Tatum said. &quot;It&#x27;s a make or miss league sometimes.&quot;</p><p>Boston made 40-of-83 shots overall (48.2%) while the Knicks made only 32-of-80 overall (40.0%) and 5-of-25 (20.0%) from three-point range.Boston had pulled away to big leads in the first two games at home but faded late with poor three-point shooting and lost in the final minutes while delivering their worst three-point shooting efforts of the campaign.</p><p>&quot;You can&#x27;t ride the emotional roller coaster of the playoffs,&quot; Tatum said. &quot;You can&#x27;t get too high or too low after a win or a loss. Our core group, we&#x27;ve been together a long team, we&#x27;ve been in so many different circumstances, so we just thought stay together and figure it out.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/5/8/nba-knicks-rally-again-to-take-2-0-lead-over-celtics-thunder-roar-back-1430">NBA: Knicks rally again to take 2-0 lead over Celtics, Thunder roar back</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Tap into your darkness</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xuLB0RCDXaw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong></div><p>The Celtics overcame two humbling defeats to boost their chances at Boston&#x27;s first back-to-back NBA titles since 1968-69.</p><p>&quot;You don&#x27;t get into the journey for it to be easy,&quot; Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. &quot;It has been dark, but in a good way. You&#x27;ve just got to tap into your darkness and that&#x27;s it. That&#x27;s what we&#x27;ve got to do.&quot;</p><p>The Celtics seized another big early lead in game three but this time had the touch from beyond the arc and defensively as the Knicks never led.</p><p>Boston surged to a 36-20 lead after the first quarter, stretched the half-time edge to 71-46, the largest half-time home playoff deficit in Knicks history, and led 96-70 entering the fourth quarter before dominating to the final buzzer.</p><p>Jalen Brunson led New York with 27 points while Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 15 rebounds for the Knicks, who have not reached the conference finals since 2000.</p><p>&quot;We need to play with more of a sense of urgency,&quot; Brunson said. &quot;I don&#x27;t think we came with the mindset we needed. A lot we need to discuss and figure out.&quot;</p><p>Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said his team lacked the intensity needed to challenge Boston.</p><p>&quot;They got the lead early. We missed some shots early that impacted us and they got confidence early in the game,&quot; Thibodeau said.</p><p>&quot;We got in a hole early. That took some energy away from us. We&#x27;ll make our corrections and get ready for the next one...We&#x27;ve got to bounce back.&quot;</p><p>Saturday&#x27;s only other NBA playoff game will find Minnesota at Golden State with the Western Conference series level 1-1.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>Defending NBA champion Boston overpowered New York 115-93 on Saturday, dominating to the finish after squandering 20-point leads to lose two prior playoff games to the Knicks.</p>

Defending NBA champion Boston overpowered New York 115-93 on Saturday, dominating to the finish after squandering 20-point leads to lose two prior playoff games to the Knicks.

Celtics overwhelm Knicks to pull within 2-1 in NBA playoff series | ABS-CBN

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Celtics overwhelm Knicks to pull within 2-1 in NBA playoff series

Celtics overwhelm Knicks to pull within 2-1 in NBA playoff series

Agence France-Presse,

Published May 11, 2025 09:42 AM PHT

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Updated May 11, 2025 11:50 AM PHT

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