91-90! Towns locks Tatum 21+17! The Knicks double-killed the Celtics 2-0 and the first 20+ team in history was born!

1. Jedi Counterattack: From 12 points to an epic reversal

On May 8, the TD Garden Arena in Boston witnessed one of the most dramatic reversals in NBA playoff history. The Knicks narrowly beat the Celtics 91-90 away and led the series 2-0. The Celtics once established a 12-point advantage in the first three quarters (73-61), but were hit 30-17 by the Knicks in the final quarter, including a deadly 13-0 attack wave. Bridges blocked Tatum's final jump shot 0.8 seconds before the end of the game, completely destroying the Celtics' hope of counterattack. The reversal of the

Knicks is not accidental. Data shows that they have completed 11 reversals of more than 20 points this season, and the first two games of the playoffs have repeatedly replicated this feat, becoming the first team in NBA history to achieve this achievement. They grabbed 48 rebounds in this game (38 in the Celtics), of which Towns contributed 17, including 5 frontcourt rebounds, which directly translated into 11-point second attack.

2. Twin Towers: Towns + Robinson dominates the penalty area

Carl - Anthony - Towns turned into an inside behemoth in this game, scoring 21 points efficiently on 9 of 16 shots, plus 17 rebounds and 2 blocks. He successfully restricted Tatum on the defensive end, who made only 5 of 19 shots in the game and scored only 4 points on 1 of 5 shots in the final quarter. Towns' existence not only made the Celtics' inside tight, but also forced Horford to make frequent defenses, resulting in the latter's physical overdraw and making continuous mistakes at critical moments in the final quarter.

Mitchell-Robinson also made an indelible contribution. He blocked Tatum's final goal 0.8 seconds before the final game, which was the turning point of the game. He contributed 5 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in the whole game, and the "Two Towers" with Towns made the Celtics score only 34 points in the penalty area, far lower than the 52 points in the first game of the series.

3. Double Tetra Flowers are silent: Tatum + Brown 13 of 42

Celtic core Tatum suffered the most tragic defeat in his career in this game. He made 5 of 19 shots in the game, 1 of 5 three-pointers and scored only 13 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists, plus or negative - 11 lowest in the game. Data shows that Tatum made 1 of 12 shots in the fourth quarter of the first two games of the Eastern Conference semi-finals, with a real shooting percentage of only 21.8%, and his key ball ability was questioned.

Jeren Brown contributed 20 points and 6 rebounds, but his inefficiency performance on just 8 of 23 shots was unsatisfactory. He and Tatum made 13 of 42 shots and 3 of 14 three-pointers, completely exposing the hidden dangers of the Celtics' over-reliance on the Double Tanhua. What's even more fatal is that the two made 2 of 8 shots in the final quarter, which directly led to the team's collapse.

4. Role player explosion: Hart + Bridges determines the universe

Knicks' victory cannot be separated from the character player explosion. Hart scored 23 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks on 9 of 15 shots, and scored 8 points in the final quarter, including a key two-free throw-off. He defended Brown on the defensive end, resulting in the latter's 6 mistakes, completely disrupting the Celtic offensive rhythm.

Bridges defines the game with defense. He blocked Tatum's final goal before the final game, contributing 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals throughout the game, with 7 points in the last quarter all from the key leg. His front-line defensive group with Anunobi gave the Celtics a wing of just 38 points, far below the regular season 52.

5. Tactical Game: Thibodeau cracks the Celtics Magic Ball System

Knicks coach Thibodeau's tactical arrangement is textbook-level. He adopted the "shot-to-shot-not-slash-to-shot" strategy against the Celtics, forcing Tatum and Brown to make waves from outside (the two made 3-pointers in total with 3-pointers), while shrinking the defense line to protect the penalty area. Data shows that the Celtics made only 10 of 40 three-pointers in this game, shooting 25%, hitting a new playoff low.

On the offensive end, the Knicks used Towns' high post support and Robinson's pick-and-roll to frequently attack the penalty area guarded by Horford. They scored 34 points through pick-and-roll, while the Celtics scored only 18 points. This combination of internal and external play completely disintegrated the Celtics' defensive system.

6. Series Outlook: Celtics survived in desperate situation vs. Knicks took advantage of the victory to pursue

After this game, the Celtics fell into a desperate situation of 0-2. Historical data shows that the teams that were 0-2 behind in the NBA playoffs have a probability of final promotion of less than 5%. If the Celtics want to turn the tables, they must solve three major problems:

Activate Tatum: reduce its singles with the ball, increase the unball run and pick-and-roll changes;

Recovery of the outside line: White, Prichard and other shooters need to improve their three-point shooting percentage (2 of 6 shots in this game);

Adjustment of defense: Twin Towers tactics against the Knicks, and Porzingis is activated to enhance the frame protection.

Knicks need to maintain stability. Their strengths are inside dominance (48.5 rebounds per game) and role player depth (8 players are in double-point score per game). If the defensive intensity can be continued, it is very likely to sweep the Celtics 4-0 and create the best playoff record in the team's history.