It’s halftime here in Boston, and the defending champs are keeping the Knicks at arm’s length. The Celtics didn’t shoot too well in the first quarter and a half, which meant that the two sides traded the lead back and forth, but the home side started to pull away about halfway through the second quarter. Jaylen Brown hit a jumper and that kicked off a 19-7 run to close the half out.

Karl-Anthony Towns is the only Knick in double figures so far, with co-stars Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges limited to 11 combined points on a combined 4-15 from the field. Brown and Jayon Tatum are leading the way for the C’s, but not in a particularly efficient manner, at least from three — they’re a combined 2 for 10 from behind the arc, and the team is shooting 5-23 as a whole. Whether made in good faith or not, that’s been the knock on the Celtics for the last two seasons: can they win when the shots aren’t falling? It’s early here in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but it looks like that narrative will loom over Boston until the final buzzer.

8:43 p.m. — Knicks 52, Celtics 72

The Knicks look like they want to ride KAT’s hot hand, and have fed him five possessions in a row in an attempt to attack Tatum. That’s gone like this:

Miss.

Offensive foul.

Turnover (now with Al Horford defending).

Offensive foul.

Blocked by Derrick White.

Yuck. The shots still aren’t falling for the Celtics despite good looks, but after White’s block, Horford finds Tatum on the fast break for an easy bucket, forcing a Knicks timeout. More of that, please.

8:50 p.m. — Knicks 64, Celtics 74

KAT’s on the bench now with four fouls, and Tom Thibodeau is turning to OG Anunoby and Brunson to run the offense. Anunoby actually starts to turn things around for the Knicks: two threes in a row, then a good pass leading to a foul. Meanwhile, the C’s continue to stink it up from three, capped off by a bad airball from Sam Hauser. Brunson is asserting himself some more, and his tough layup off glass forces Joe Mazzula to call time with the lead down to ten.

8:59 p.m. — Knicks 75, Celtics 84

That timeout hasn’t cooled Brunson off at all, as he keeps on taking tough shots — and making them. Tatum finally hits two threes for his first points of the half, but the Knicks are playing like they want this win a hell of a lot more than the Celtics do. As the C’s keep settling for jumpers, the Knicks push the pace in transition, getting two good buckets before Brunson hits a three to cap the quarter off. As Hauser heads to the locker room early, what was once a 20 point lead is now in the single digits.

9:05 p.m. — Knicks 80, Celtics 84

The Celtics look like they don’t know what’s happening. Missed three after missed three after missed three — some on good looks, to be fair, but doesn’t somebody want to try and get a look at the rim instead of kicking it back out for the hundredth time?

9:14 p.m. — Knicks 84, Celtics 86

TNT just put up a graphic letting us know that the Knicks have been on a 28-9 run since the middle of the third quarter, and Celtics fans are probably halfway through ripping their hair out. Anunoby and Brunson have continued to kill the Celtics, but it doesn’t look like they need any help — they’re killing themselves with all their missed threes. Two point game.

9:19 p.m. — Knicks 89, Celtics 89

Aaaaand it’s tied. The Knicks are putting the clamps on the Celtics’ ball-handlers, and force a turnover that leads to a dunk for Anunoby. Jrue Holiday hits a three that leads to a Knicks timeout, but Brunson is wide open on the inbound and things are looking dire for the C’s.

9:22 p.m. — Knicks 94, Celtics 91

There’s nothing more frustrating for a fanbase than when their team goes cold despite good looks. Brunson is proving why he won this year’s Clutch Player of the Year award, and as the Knicks continue to out-hustle the Celtics, a Brunson three gives New York their first lead in a long while. Timeout Celtics.

9:27 p.m. — Knicks 97, Celtics 98

Ok, maybe Boston isn’t done quite yet. Brunson is still cooking — he had Horford on skates after a switch — but after a three from Derrick White gives the lead back to the Celtics, the Knicks call timeout.

9:31 p.m. — Knicks 100, Celtics 100

About an hour ago, this game looked like it might end up being a bit of a snoozefest — how glad I am to be proven wrong. The Celtics and the Knicks are both really into this thing now, with tough defense and clutch shots abound. White secures a great rebound, and Celtics call timeout with a chance to win the game.

9:38 p.m. — Knicks 100, Celtics 100

And we’re headed for overtime. Tatum bricks yet another three with the game on the line, and Mikal Bridges knocks the rebound away from White, giving the Knicks a chance with 5.5 on the clock. Brunson inbounds to KAT and gets it back on the cut, but his floater rims out. Tatum can’t get a clean shot off with .6 to play, and the defending champs are starting a Game 1 upset right in the face.

Final — Knicks 108, Celtics 105

And the upset is real. The Knicks keep on hustling throughout OT while the Celtics keep on missing threes, and the final play is emblematic of everything New York did to earn this victory. Down three with one last chance to send it to double overtime, White finds Jaylen Brown with a cross-court inbound pass — one that Bridges rips away as time expires.

Boston has a chance to right the ship Wednesday night, but New York will certainly keep the pressure on.