The Boston Celtics missed a golden opportunity to go up 1-0 to a team they’ve handled pretty early over the year: the New York Knicks. After being up by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, the Knicks crawled and scratched their way back to complete the Game 1 comeback.
It took overtime and Celtics star big man Kristaps Porzingis missing the entire second half for the Knicks to win. Nonetheless, a win is a win. The Celtics are now down 0-1 in this best-of-seven series.
Boston did not have their finest Game 1, especially in the second half. In a game where they should have cruised to victory, they blew it in dramatic fashion. NBA fans on social media had some fun with the Celtics and their stunning meltdown.
3 more.#NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/a9P9BQ5oSk
— 𝘾𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙎𝙝𝙪𝙗𝙝 ⁶𓅓 (@OVOLakeShow) May 6, 2025
Lakers and NBA legend Magic Johnson provided his two cents on the epic Game 1 between Boston and New York.
What a comeback victory in overtime for the NY Knicks led by OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson who both finished with 29 points. Two guys that deserve a lot of credit for the victory were Mikal Bridges and Miles McBride. Mikal’s defense was superb and he hit a key 3-pointer to put the…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 6, 2025
NBA fans continued on X with a mixture of shock and poking fun at the Celtics.
If you miss 45 3’s in a game you absolutely deserve to lose 🤣
— Carpo (@Carpo_31) May 6, 2025
“you thought you had that lead safe huh” pic.twitter.com/18ojXBIJFt
— PrizePicks (@PrizePicks) May 6, 2025
Jayson Tatum in the clutch: pic.twitter.com/OBXjAbw9kY
— Jose LAL (@JoseLAL23) May 6, 2025
The Celtics from three tonight pic.twitter.com/dghorjd9P0
— Pick6 (@Pick6) May 6, 2025
45 missed 3’s is a shocking number.
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) May 6, 2025
Celtics fans right now pic.twitter.com/cnJ0GMIVk1
— sam💎 (@samventureX) May 6, 2025
Celtics fans had every reason to be caught off guard by the team’s off night from beyond the arc.
Boston has been one of the league’s top perimeter shooting squads all season long, averaging a league-best 17.8 made three-pointers per game. Their volume is just as impressive, launching an NBA-high 48.5 attempts per contest—a major part of their offensive identity.
However, that was not the case on Monday night.
After the game, Jrue Holiday spoke on the team’s second half.
“Could have been a mix of both. Lot of shots that felt like we make all the time — lot of wide-open threes, off of offensive rebounds… lot of good shots we wish would have fell. But at the end of the day, we’ve got to keep on shooting,” said Holiday.
As for head coach Joe Mazzulla, he was happy with his team’s shot selection.
“Obviously, over the course of the game, you always can find 5-10 shots that you want to be better at. But I thought that, for the most part, we fought for good looks throughout the game,” said Mazzulla.
Boston has no time to dwell on this outing. They will once again host the Knicks on Wednesday for Game 2 for a chance to tie the series.
More Celtics: Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis Exits Game 1 with Undisclosed Illness
Paul Pierce Puts Celtics’ Jayson Tatum on Kevin Durant Trajectory
Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis Flips Question About Knicks Back on Media
For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, head on over to Boston Celtics on SI.
