Celtics choke another 20-point lead, trail 2-0 to Knicks

BOSTON — Draped across the TD Garden seats ahead of the Celtics’ second game of their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Knicks were black rally towels with the phrase “whatever it takes” printed in green block lettering.

The sentiment was especially important for Boston, considering it gave up a 20-point lead in the third quarter of Game 1 that resulted in an overtime loss. Celtics fans packed TD Garden Wednesday to see if their team learned its lesson from a historic collapse.

The Celtics did not.

After leading by 20 points midway through the third quarter — the exact scenario from its previous contest — of Game 2, Boston’s offense completely shut down to cost itself another large lead. That was all it took for New York to gain control, eventually securing a stunning 91-90 win over the Celtics, who trail 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Boston became the first team to lose two games when leading by 20 or more points in a single postseason in contests dating back to 1996-97, according to NBC Sports Boston.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks’ go-ahead effort, finishing with 17 points and seven assists. He scored six points in the final two minutes of game time, including a pair of free throws that gave New York a one-point lead that was too much for Boston to overcome. Mikal Bridges was instrumental, too, scoring all 14 of his points in the fourth quarter.

Outside of Brunson and Bridges’ fourth-quarter performances, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns guided the Knicks’ comeback efforts. Hart scored 23 points, while Towns had 21 points and 17 rebounds.

As the Celtics and their supporters emptied the arena, a contingent of Knicks fans gathered in the lower bowl to alleviate confusion from a perplexing scenario.

“Knicks in four!” the crowd cheered.

Early in the contest, it appeared the Celtics fixed their offensive issues that plagued them late in Game 1. Instead of continuing to shoot 3-pointers after an 0-of-4 start from deep, their offense ventured inside the 3-point line for their scoring, resulting in paint points and free throws. Derrick White nailed the team’s first 3-pointer at the 5:25 mark in the first quarter.

Jaylen Brown provided the necessary boost in the second quarter, lifting the Celtics with a then-game-high of 17 points. His output stalled in the second half, finishing with 20 points. White tied Brown’s team-high with 20 points.

Shooting woes haunted Jayson Tatum throughout the first half, as he finished with a 1-of-7 mark. He scored 13 points in his team’s loss while grabbing 14 rebounds. Jrue Holiday was the only other Celtic to finish in double digits.

The Celtics will now travel to New York for Games 3 and 4. Their next contest will be at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.