The New York Knicks erased another massive deficit in Boston, beating the Celtics 91-90 on Wednesday night to take a stunning 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
For the second straight game, Mikal Bridges delivered the decisive blow, poking the ball away from Jayson Tatum in the final seconds to seal the victory.
New York trailed by 16 early in the fourth quarter but stormed back with a 23-4 run, sparked by Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart, while Boston went over eight minutes without a made field goal.
Bridges, scoreless through three quarters, erupted for 14 points in the final period and added his second straight game-ending steal to close the door on the defending champions.
Jalen Brunson, who struggled from the field, calmly hit two free throws with 12.7 seconds left to give the Knicks the lead for good.
Boston’s final possession saw Tatum isolate up top, but he was cut off by Bridges before he could get to the rim, and the Knicks recovered the loose ball as the clock expired.
Hart led all scorers with 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting, while Towns posted 21 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.
Brunson added 17 points and 7 assists despite a 6-for-19 night from the floor.
The Knicks’ bench also delivered key contributions, especially Mitchell Robinson, who posted a +19 plus-minus in just over 22 minutes with 8 rebounds and 3 steals.
Boston, which entered the series 61-21 and owned one of the league’s top home records, has now dropped both games at TD Garden.
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White scored 20 points each, but the Celtics shot just 36.2 percent overall and went 10-for-40 from three-point range.
Tatum finished with 13 points on 5-for-19 shooting and committed three turnovers, including the final one that ended the game.
The Celtics went completely cold in the fourth quarter, missing 13 consecutive shots after Payton Pritchard’s three gave them an 84-68 lead with 8:40 remaining.
Despite Kristaps Porzingis returning in limited minutes off the bench, Boston could not regain control late.
New York’s defense held the Celtics to just 17 points in the final quarter after allowing 73 through three.
Teams that go up 2-0 on the road in a best-of-seven series have won 85.7% of the time.
Game 3 shifts to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, where the Knicks will look to take a commanding 3-0 lead.
