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A thrilling beginning to a best-of-seven playoff series saw the New York Knicks triumph over the Boston Celtics, 108-105, at TD Garden on Monday.
After falling behind by 20 points in the opening game of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs presented by Google, the Knicks made a remarkable comeback and secured victory in overtime.
British forward O.G. Anunoby played a pivotal role in giving his team a 1-0 advantage, matching teammate Jalen Brunson with a game-high 29 points and showcasing strong defensive skills.
“It’s about making him take tough shots,” said the 27-year-old as he discussed his defense on Jayson Tatum. “He’s an exceptional player, and he’s bound to hit some challenging ones. I aimed to put him in uncomfortable positions and see how he responded.”
In a game that lasted nearly 46 minutes for Tom Thibodeau’s squad, the London native recorded four rebounds, three assists, and one steal, while shooting 10 out of 20 from the field, with six of those being three-pointers.
“As a team, we have plenty of experience, and it’s evident in critical moments. In challenging matches, we remain resilient,” the former NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors stated during the post-game press conference.
His European teammates, Frenchman Pacome Dadiet and German player Ariel Hukporti, did not see any playing time.
On the other side, Latvian Kristaps Porzingis started for the Celtics but played less than 13 minutes due to an illness.
“We’ll assess his situation. His presence impacts the game significantly on both ends and alters our substitution patterns, matchups, and play-calling frequency,” head coach Joe Mazzulla responded when asked about Porzingis’s early departure. “We felt his absence, but that’s not an excuse. We had ample chances to win, and we’re hopeful he’ll be ready for Game 2.”
The 29-year-old finished with four rebounds and one assist, while Portuguese teammate Neemias Queta remained seated on the bench.
In other playoff matchups:
– Cleveland Cavaliers defeated Miami Heat 4-0 (score details: 121-100, 121-112, 124-87, 138-83)
– Boston Celtics overcame Orlando Magic 4-1 (score details: 103-86, 109-100, 93-95, 107-98, 120-89)
– New York Knicks won against Detroit Pistons 4-2 (score details: 123-112, 94-100, 118-116, 94-93, 103-106, 116-113)
– Indiana Pacers took down Milwaukee Bucks 4-1 (score details: 117-98, 123-115, 101-117, 129-103, 119-118)
Additionally:
– Oklahoma City Thunder swept Memphis Grizzlies 4-0 (score details: 131-80, 118-99, 114-108, 117-115)
– Houston Rockets narrowly lost to Golden State Warriors 3-4 (score details: 85-95, 109-94, 93-104, 106-109, 131-116, 115-107, 89-103)
– Los Angeles Lakers fell to Minnesota Timberwolves 1-4 (score details: 95-117, 94-85, 104-116, 113-116, 96-103)
– Denver Nuggets edged Los Angeles Clippers 4-3 (score details: 112-110, 102-105, 83-117, 101-99, 131-115, 105-111, 120-101)
In the current series:
– Cleveland Cavaliers trail Indiana Pacers 0-1 (112-121)
– Boston Celtics are down against New York Knicks 0-1 (105-108)
Upcoming matchups include:
– Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets (0-1)
– Minnesota Timberwolves against Golden State Warriors (0-0)
Stay updated with the latest news.
