In their Game 3 win over the New York Knicks on Saturday afternoon, the Boston Celtics’ three-point shooting corrected itself. After the game, Jayson Tatum said they knew the numbers would correct themselves. “It was just a matter of time,” Tatum said via Justin Turpin of WEEI. “We’re all professionals. We work really hard on our craft and put a lot of time in. You understand there’s times where your shot might not be falling but it always balances out.”
Through the first two games of the series, the Celtics shot 25-of-100 (25.0%) from behind the arc. A disaster from beyond the arc. They dropped both games.
On Saturday, they shot 20-of-40 from deep.
Celtics can never doubt themselves
To make it ot the NBA, a supreme level of confidence is required. Tatum has no shortage of that. There was no doubt in his mind that he and the Celtics would get back on track from three.
It’s not like they were taking good shots. According to NBA.com, 96 of the Celtics’ 100 three-point attempts in the first two games of the series were considered either open (defender 4-6 feet away) or wide-open (defender 6+ feet away).
Boston decided to trust their processes. Almost all of the three-point attempts they were taking were quality shots, and water found its level in Game 3. Had Boston second-guessed their game plan, they wouldn’t have had the chance to snap out of their slump.
Celtics process is more important than results
As difficult as it is to contextualize, the actual result of the shots the Celtics take (make or miss) should be irrelevant to the way they play basketball. It should be about getting the best-possible look.
In Games 1 and 2, the Celtics’ spacing was awkward. Kristaps Porzingis, Payton Pritchard, and other Boston players who screened stood stagnant after their role in the play was done. This junked up the spacing on the floor, slowing down Boston’s offensive glow.
Meanwhile, Game 3 saw a shift. The Celtics were far more active moving without the ball, and it opened up opportunities for them to create more quality three-point looks.
Rather than changing the actual shot profile that they were striving for, the Celtics simply honed in on the details of their process. And it yielded good results.
Self-doubt isn’t what won the Celtics a championship last year, and letting that feeling seep in would only damage the identity they’ve formed for themselves. And based on Tatum’s quote, it doesn’t sound like they plan on doubting themselves anytime soon.
