Knicks come from 20 down, beat Celtics 108-105 in OT as Bridges' steal preserves Game 1 win

BOSTON (AP) — The Knicks grew accustomed to facing big deficits against the Celtics this season.

New York faced another one to open its Eastern Conference semifinal matchup against the defending NBA champions. This time, the Knicks found a way to overcome it.

Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each scored 29 points before Mikal Bridges stole the ball from Jaylen Brown with a second left in overtime, and the Knicks stunned Boston 108-105 in Game 1 of their series on Monday night.

Karl-Anthony Towns added 14 points and 13 rebounds for New York, which lost all four games against its longtime rival during the regular season and trailed by 20 points in the second half of this game.

“We told each other just keep believing. Just keep fighting and sticking together, and keep chipping away. There wasn’t going to be a 20-point shot," Brunson said.

Jayson Tatum and Brown both had 23 points for the Celtics, who had an NBA playoff-record 45 missed 3-pointers to blow a game they appeared to have in control. Derrick White added 19 points and 11 rebounds.

“In those spots where they have momentum, we can’t just fire up 3s," Brown said. "I felt like we just settled in the second half a lot.”

Jrue Holiday returned to the starting lineup after a strained right hamstring caused him to miss the final three games of Boston’s first-round series against Orlando. He finished with 16 points in 39 minutes, but center Kristaps Porzingis played only 13 minutes and didn’t return after halftime because of an illness.

Game 2 is Wednesday night.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said missing Porzingis impacted the Celtics' approach.

“Obviously it impacts the game with his ability on both ends of the floor,“ Mazzulla said. ”It's no excuse. We had plenty of opportunities. ... Hopefully he's ready for Game 2."

The Knicks struck first in OT, taking a 106-100 edge via a three-point play by Anunoby, followed by 3-pointer by Bridges.

Brown connected on a 3-pointer from the wing with just over a minute left — his only make in 10 attempts behind the arc — to cut it to 108-105.

It stayed that way when Josh Hart misfired on a deep 3. Tatum missed a jumper, but the Celtics were able to retrieve the rebound. After a foul on Towns, Boston called timeout with 3 seconds showing on the clock.

But Bridges ripped the inbounds pass away from Brown to preserve the win.

The Celtics finished 15 for 60 on 3-pointers. Of the 49 shots the Celtics took in the second half and OT, 37 were 3-pointers. They connected on only 10 of them.

Boston led 75-55 midway through the third quarter but New York cut it to 84-75 entering the final period, thanks to a 20-9 run.

The Knicks kept it going, scoring the first eight points of the fourth quarter. They eventually tied it at 86 on a steal and dunk by Anunoby.

Three ties and three lead changes later, New York led 97-95 when the Celtics pushed the ball ahead and swung it to White for a corner 3-pointer to put Boston back in front with 2:15 left. A 3 by Anunoby put New York in front by two, but it was answered on the other end by Holiday's layup to tie it again.

The Knicks had a great look to win it in regulation after Brunson got a give-and-go pass from Towns, but missed a short bank shot that was rebounded by Boston. The Celtics called timeout with 0.6 seconds remaining but Tatum missed a lunging jumper at the buzzer.

Brunson said Monday's win was a good start, but hardly a roadmap to win this series.

“I don’t think there is a blueprint per se," Brunson said. "But as long as we stick together, anything is possible.”

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Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) passes the ball while pressured by the New York Knicks during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Monday, May 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Monday, May 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby, top, hangs from the rim after dunking against the Boston Celtics during the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Monday, May 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) celebrates with Mikal Bridges (25) after defeating the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Monday, May 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New York Knicks celebrate after defeating the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Monday, May 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)