Upsets Galore: Denver, New York Stun Higher Seeds in Game 1s

The Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks both entered their respective contests on Monday Night as nearly 10-point underdogs.

While an upset is always in the cards in the NBA postseason, what Denver and New York pulled off on Monday Night was pretty improbable.

First, the Knicks rallied from 20 down and capitalized on 45 missed 3s from the Celtics to win on the road in Overtime.

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Per ESPN.com:

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.

Later on, the Denver Nuggets looked as though that they'd succumb to the better foe in Game 1 in Oklahoma City.

Down 10 at the halftime break, Denver never quit last night:

Nikola Jokic showed why he's a finalist for another MVP award with his historic stat line. But with Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals at stake, the ball again found Aaron Gordon's hands.

Gordon hit a 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining, supporting Jokic's 42-point, 22-rebound effort and giving the Denver Nuggets a stunning 121-119 comeback win over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.
It was the kind of finish one might expect of a team that won the NBA title just two seasons ago.

“We just didn’t want to miss the moment, didn’t want to miss the opportunity," Gordon said. "We knew that if we waited, it may be too late. I’m glad we showed our mettle, our grit, but we’re not satisfied.”

“Aaron’s going to be a hero again," Denver interim coach David Adelman said. "But I’m also looking at 14 rebounds. I’m looking at 22 points. Looking at ball-handling responsibilities, leadership. He is a Denver Nugget, man.
Like, he is the soul of our team. So, cool to see him have two moments that no one will forget.”

Jokic became just the fourth player to have at least 40 points, 20 rebounds and five assists in a playoff game.