Celtics v Knicks NBA Playoffs: Boston blow another big lead as Mikal Bridges denies Jayson Tatum on buzzer

Mikal Bridges scored all of his 14 points in the fourth quarter before making his second straight game-clinching steal, and New York have overcome a 20-point deficit again to beat Boston for a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

Jalen Brunson scored 17 points for the Knicks on Wednesday night and made two free throws with 12.7 seconds left for a 91-90 lead. Jayson Tatum then couldn’t get to the rim and Bridges moved in to bat the ball away and recover it.

Josh Hart had 23 points and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 points and 17 rebounds for New York, who will host Game 3 on Saturday.

Jaylen Brown and Derrick White scored 20 points apiece for the Celtics, who were 10 for 40 from three-point range after going 15 for 60 in Game 1.

Tatum was limited to 13 points on 5-for-19 shooting for the hosts, who went more than eight minutes without a field goal in the fourth quarter.

The Knicks took the opener when Bridges stole the ball away from Brown with a second left in overtime, and all eyes were on Boston’s offence again after they missed an NBA-record 45 threes in their opening loss.

Despite their shooting struggles, they found some traction late in the third quarter, using a 16-6 run to turn a 10-point lead into a 73-53 advantage late in the period.

It was 84-68 after Payton Pritchard’s triple with 8:40 to play but the Celtics wouldn’t make another basket until Tatum’s driving dunk with 18.5 seconds remaining.

New York cut it to 86-82 on a floater by Hart before Towns’ three-point play and Brunson’s 18-footer put the visitors in front.

Trailing 89-88, Tatum drove easily past Mitchell Robinson for a dunk to put the Celtics back in the lead.

But Brunson again responded. He was fouled and connected on both free throws.

Teams that win the first two games of a best-of-seven series on the road win the series 85.7 per cent of the time.