Despite holding a 16-point lead at halftime, the Boston Celtics lost in game one of their Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup against the New York Knicks.
Boston went ice cold on the perimeter, but failed to adjust. The team set an NBA record for most missed threes in the playoffs with 45. During his postgame news conference, Jaylen Brown was blunt in his assessment. The All-Star forward admitted that the Celtics needed to adjust their approach, embracing a more interior-based game once it was clear their threes weren’t going to drop.
“In those moments, when the other team has got momentum, we can’t just fire up threes to break up the momentum,” Jaylen Brown said in his postgame news conference. “You gotta get to the free throw line, get to the paint, get to the basket. Maybe an easy two. Hit some free throws. And maybe the next three-pointer feels a little bit better. I feel like we just settled in the second half, a lot.”
The Celtics have become a high-volume perimeter-based team under Joe Mazzulla. That approach helped them secure the 2024 NBA championship. However, Boston is usually far better at recognizing when it isn’t their night on the perimeter, and adjusting accordingly.
Unfortunately, some bad habits crept in against the Knicks. Now, the Celtics trail 1-0 heading into game two.
Knicks’ Josh Hart Knows Celtics Can Shoot
When speaking to the media after the game, Josh Hart admitted that the Knicks can’t expect Boston to shoot so poorly again.
“I don’t think you want to force them into threes,” Hart said. “We don’t want them to shoot more threes. They got great shooters man . We just tried to make it tough for them. Play physical…We were trying to take away threes. They still got up 60… You never want a team like that to shoot more 3s.”
For a team like the Celtics, shooting variance is something you learn to deal with. However, given Boston’s ability to bounce back quickly, the Knicks can’t expect the Celtics to struggle on the perimeter throughout the upcoming contests.
Celtics Must Come Back Stronger
The May 5 loss to the Knicks was the first time Boston had fallen to Tom Thibodeau’s team all season. The Celtics are now 4-1 against their divisional rivals. As such, Joe Mazzulla’s team should still be confident of being the first team to reach four wins in the series.
Nevertheless, the Knicks roster has been constructed to give the Celtics trouble. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are two of the best wing defenders in the NBA. It’s no surprise they’re being matched up with Jayson Tatum and Brown.
Part of what makes this Celtics team great is its ability to bounce back and adjust game to game. If Boston can find new ways to generate quality shots, and it begins knocking them down at its usual clip, the series could quickly be back on level footing.
Nevertheless, any fan who was expecting the Celtics to close out the semifinals matchup in four or five games may need to readjust their expectations. This series has all the hallmarks of a potential slobberknocker.
