The Knicks did it AGAIN

Good morning. Game 2 of the Knicks-Celtics series was essentially a re-run of Game 1. I didn't know the NBA puppetmasters could do that? Plus: the Thunder shoved the Nuggets down a laundry chute to finally get a home team a win in the second round. Let's basketball.

A Brief Pause

It's coming into view that any team still in the postseason can win this championship. With the two top East teams down 0-2 and the top West team 1-1 heading on the road, everything is on the table. That's kind of a miracle and another proof point that until further notice all NBA contender lists should be inclusive. This should absolutely influence how front offices build and maintain rosters and should decrease the incidences of tanking further. The league is consistently wide open for the taking.

AGAIN

In Game 1, the Celtics led by as many as 20, entered the fourth quarter leading by nine, only to suffer a horrific offensive meltdown in the fourth and lose to the Knicks at home, capped off by a Mikal Bridges steal on one of the Two Jays.

In Game 2, the Celtics led by as many as 20, entered the fourth quarter leading by 12, only to suffer a horrific offensive meltdown in the fourth and lose to the Knicks at home, capped off by a Mikal Bridges steal on one of the Two Jays.

How does a team facing allegations of a dull, predictable fourth quarter offense beat the allegations, win a title, run it back and somehow fall victim to those same allegations? This is how.

The Celtics hit one field goal in the final 8:30 of game time (plus four free throws). The Knicks finish on a 23-6 run to win the game 91-90. New York did to the defending champs – a team that went 80-21 inclusive of the playoffs last year – what they had done earlier this postseason to the Detroit Pistons, who won 14 games last season. Boston hunted Jalen Brunson mercilessly down the stretch and didn't do a damn thing against him. It's telling that the Celtics' only made field goal in the back half of the fourth was a set play that allowed Jayson Tatum to get a head of steam going full court thanks to a really high screen. It's also telling that the Celtics essentially tried to run it again on the final possession, but the Knicks immediately sorted it out and forced Tatum to dribble dribble dribble into trouble before Bridges' game-winning steal.

Jrue Holiday did a masterful job navigating screens to stay on Jalen Brunson down the stretch ... and Brunson still got to his spots and, on the penultimate possession, turned the corner and drew a foul. This is JRUE HOLIDAY, and Brunson still found a way to get the Knicks just enough points to win the game.

Boston's offense is completely off the rails right now. In the series, Jaylen Brown is 15/43 from the field (35%) and 3/17 (18%) from deep. Derrick White is 12/35 (34%) from the field and 8/27 (30%) from three. Tatum – who was incredible in the first round against the league's No. 2 defense – is 12/42 (29%) from the field and 5/20 (25%) from three. This all against a Knicks team that finished the season No. 13 in defense. This all in two home games with more rest coming in than New York had.