Four ways Celtics can beat Knicks on road, tie playoff series – NBC Boston

The Boston Celtics got here into their Jap Convention semifinals sequence versus the New York Knicks as heavy favorites. And it made sense — Boston is the defending champ and dominated the common season sequence versus New York with a 4-0 report.

The Knicks struggled beating good groups all season and had been simply an OK highway crew.

However the Knicks shocked the basketball world this week by profitable each of the primary two video games in Boston, together with a 91-90 victory Wednesday night in Game 2. Now they’ve an opportunity to take a commanding 3-0 lead Saturday afternoon when the sequence shifts to Madison Sq. Backyard.

How can the Celtics get again within the sequence after two crushing losses wherein they blew leads of 20-plus factors?

Listed below are 4 areas of emphasis:

Don’t be concerned about Mitchell Robinson

There are occasions when “Hack-a-Robinson” is an efficient technique. Robinson is an atrocious free throw shooter. He is 4-for-11 within the sequence and capturing 26.7 p.c from the free throw line within the playoffs.

But it surely does not make any sense to place your crew on the verge of being within the penalty simply to place him on the road or get him off the ground. That is what the Celtics did late within the fourth quarter of Recreation 2. The C’s had two fouls to provide with 2:41 left within the sport and so they dedicated two take fouls on Robinson. The second was the Celtics’ fourth crew foul, which meant the subsequent foul would put the Knicks on the free throw line.

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau was going to sub out Robinson after the primary take foul, however saved him in to see if the C’s would foul him once more, which they did. Then he took out Robinson.

Right here is Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla’s clarification for fouling Robinson twice wth beneath three minutes to play:

When Robinson exited, OG Anunoby got here in. Anunoby is an elite defensive participant and able to hitting 3-pointers. The Celtics ought to need Robinson on the ground over Anunoby always.

Robinson is an excellent defensive participant. He is a robust rebounder and one of the best shot blocker on the Knicks. He makes an impression, there is not any doubt about that. However he is principally a non-factor offensively, which permits the Celtics to double and put extra strain on different Knicks gamers on protection.

Robinson is also somebody the Celtics can hunt on the perimeter by getting him matched up on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on pick-and-rolls. Tatum and Brown are each faster than Robinson and may drive to the basket in opposition to him.

Hack-a-Robinson works in the precise conditions. However not late within the sport when it places you near the penalty. The Celtics want to fret about their very own offensive points and fewer about whether or not Robinson is on the ground.

Change OG Anunoby off of Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum performed like a celebrity within the first spherical in opposition to the Magic. He scored a median of 31.3 factors with 11.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per sport. He is performed nowhere close to that degree within the second spherical.

Tatum is averaging 18 factors on 12-for-42 capturing (5-for-20 on 3-pointers). In Recreation 2, Tatum scored simply 13 factors on 5-for-19 capturing.

After an terrible 3-point capturing show in Recreation 1, Tatum tried extra of his photographs from two-point vary in Recreation 2. However even then, he settled for too many contested mid-range area targets (see shot chart beneath). He did not get to the basket sufficient, evidenced by his two free throw makes an attempt.

One purpose for Tatum’s lackluster scoring on this sequence is OG Anunoby. The Knicks ahead held Tatum to 4-for-16 capturing within the common season, and he is continued that success on this sequence. Tatum is capturing 1-for-7 versus Anunoby by means of two video games.

Anunoby spent 8:26 as the first defender on Tatum in Recreation 2 and Boston’s celebrity tried just one shot. Anunoby was throughout Tatum on the ultimate play of the sport, forcing a turnover that sealed the Celtics’ loss.

Mikal Bridges guarded Tatum a bunch through the 4 common season matchups and Tatum scored 35 factors on 13-for-19 capturing versus the Knicks wing. The Knicks made an adjustment going into Spherical 2 to make Anunoby the first defender on Tatum, and it is working nice for them.

The Celtics should do the whole lot they’ll, whether or not it is the pick-and-roll or one thing else, to get Anunoby away from Tatum as typically as doable. They’ve executed it a number of occasions within the sequence, which resulted in Tatum getting Jalen Brunson or Mitchell Robinson in a change.

That is the form of matchup searching the Celtics should do in Recreation 3.

Lean on highway success

The Celtics had been a traditionally nice highway crew this season, setting a franchise record with 33 victories. In actual fact, their 33-8 highway report was tied for the second-best in league historical past.

Boston ranked No. 2 in offensive score, defensive score and internet score away from residence through the common season.

In addition they went 2-0 in opposition to the Knicks at Madison Sq. Backyard — a 27-point win on Feb. 8 and a two-point win in overtime on April 8. Jayson Tatum averaged 36 factors on 50 p.c capturing in these two highway wins.

Moreover, the Celtics are 13-6 in New York since 2016, and so they’ve gained 4 straght and 5 of their final six at MSG. Boston’s final loss in New York got here within the 2022-23 season.

In the meantime, the Knicks are 1-2 at residence within the playoffs.

The Celtics are an ideal highway crew, and that ought to give them loads of confidence getting into Recreation 3 regardless of the tough begin to the sequence.

Knock down 3-point photographs

Appears apparent, proper? It is a make or miss league, and sadly for the Celtics, they’ve missed a ton of open photographs on this sequence that they usually make.

The Celtics had been really the most prolific 3-point shooting team in league history through the common season, setting information for many 3-pointers made and tried.

They made solely 10 3-pointers on 40 makes an attempt in Recreation 2. It was an enormous outlier for them, as a result of through the common season, the C’s made 10 or fewer 3-point photographs in simply three of their 82 video games.

By means of two video games in opposition to the Knicks, the Celtics are capturing 25 p.c (25-for-100) from past the arc. That is 11.8 p.c worse than their common season common, which is a large dropoff. The Celtics are capturing a minimum of 10 p.c worse within the playoffs in comparison with the common season on just about each sort of 3-pointer conceivable.

Regardless of lacking a report quantity of 3-pointers, the Celtics nonetheless solely misplaced Recreation 1 by three factors and Recreation 2 by one level. In the event that they missed 72 3-pointers as an alternative of 75, they may simply be up 2-0 within the sequence.

The Celtics are a a lot better exterior capturing crew than they’ve proven in opposition to the Knicks. It is arduous to think about these 3-point capturing woes extending for much longer. There have been solely 4 cases within the common season wherein Boston made 15 or fewer 3-pointers in consecutive video games.

The turnaround must occur ASAP, although. No crew in league historical past has overcome an 0-3 sequence deficit.