Celtics Suffer Defeat Against Knicks After Record Missed Shots
The Boston Celtics, after dominating the regular season and playoffs, suffered a surprising defeat against the New York Knicks in the first game of their series. The match was decided in overtime, with a score of 108-105 in favor of the Knicks.
The key to the game was the Celtics’ poor performance from the three-point line, missing a record 45 attempts. This statistic marked a turning point, as the team had been consistent with its three-point strategy in recent years.
At one point in the second half, the Celtics, who had a 20-point lead at one stage, missed 10 consecutive shots, all from the three-point line. At the end of the game, the team finished with 15 of 60 in three-pointers, the most missed attempts in a playoff game.
Some felt good, others felt we forced the issue a bit. Definitely, our rhythm and timing weren’t quite right. We had good opportunities, but there may be some truth to the fact that we launched too many threes today.
Jaylen Brown
The analysis of Jaylen Brown, who underperformed with only one three-pointer made out of ten attempts, was accurate. The Celtics missed 32 of their 45 “unopposed” three-point shots.
Jayson Tatum, with 4 of 15 in three-pointers, acknowledged that the team could have made different decisions. At several key moments, Tatum looked for favorable matchups, but opted for low-efficiency long-range shots.
The Knicks took advantage of the situation, allowing the Celtics to score only 9 of 34 three-pointers in the second half. The Knicks, on the other hand, scored more three-pointers (17) than the Celtics, with far fewer attempts.
I analyze the process and the quality of the shots, and our quality was high. There were between eight and ten shots that could have been better, without a doubt.
Joe Mazzulla
Despite the statements of coach Joe Mazzulla, who has encouraged the search for three-pointers, the large number of missed shots forced a reflection.
After a 20-point lead in the third quarter, the Celtics shot only 3 of 28 from three-point range and barely attempted six free throws. The Knicks, led by OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson, who scored or assisted on 55 of the 63 points after halftime, took advantage of the situation.
In those moments of the other team’s momentum, you can’t just launch three-pointers to break their rhythm. You have to go to the free-throw line, get into the paint, look for the basket, and get a couple of easy points. You score some free throws and maybe the next three-pointer feels a little better.
Jaylen Brown
