Lakers legend Magic Johnson was all praise for New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson for his clutch performance in Game 1 against the Boston Celtics. With an inspired offensive effort helping the Knicks steal a win on the road, Johnson had to acknowledge the guard’s contributions.
“What a comeback victory in overtime for the NY Knicks led by OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson, who both finished with 29 points,” tweeted Johnson.
The legend then went on to praise the other key players for New York.
“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 Knicks up in overtime and Miles McBride hit three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points. The Knicks won despite missing 17 free throws!”
The Knicks found themselves in a terrible position at the end of the first half. Down by 16 points, New York had a long way to climb if they had any hope of coming away with a win.
The sustained offensive charge led by Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby in the second half made all the difference. Some key contributions by players such as Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart put the team in a position to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks covered a large portion of their deficit in the third quarter itself. By outscoring the Celtics 30-23, New York kept pushing as Boston continued to make errors. Considering that the Celtics shot 15-60 from beyond the arc on Monday night, the Knicks were certainly applying the right kind of pressure.
A turning point in the fourth quarter was when Brunson hit a three-pointer with just over four minutes on the clock to take a three-point lead. This was followed by another clutch three-pointer to extend the lead to six.
Although Boston rallied back from this point, it was clear that the Knicks had control of the momentum. The OT period saw Karl-Anthony Towns end the stalemate with a crucial tip-in to secure the 108-105 win.
Brunson ended the game with 29 points, four rebounds, and five assists on 5-9 shooting from beyond the arc. Anunoby contributed a crucial 29 points on 6-11 shooting from three-point territory.
The Knicks are developing a reputation for coming back from huge deficits. This comes as no surprise considering that they feature the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year in their starting lineup.
Having stolen a win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the New York Knicks find themselves in control of the series. With hopes of expanding upon this lead in the next game, the Knicks will return to the TD Garden on Wednesday at 7:00 pm ET.
