Coming into the NBA Playoffs, the Celtics were the best 3-point shooting team in the league. Not in terms of efficiency, but the volume of shots made across the season. However, in Game 1 of the Knicks vs. Celtics series, they ended up on the wrong side of the playoff history books as they missed 45 attempts from beyond the 3-point line. The Knicks were hence able to successfully make a 20-point comeback in the game to win Game 1 with the score 108-105.
After the game, TNT’s Allie LaForce asked Jalen Brunson how the Knicks planned to counter the Celtics’ perimeter offense, as the 3-point shot was the biggest tool in their offensive strategy. Brunson concisely responded, “We got to limit their attempts, but when you shoot that many, you can miss that many. But I mean, we just got to be ready for the next game.”
Reviewing Game 1 Of The Celtics-Knicks Playoff Series
The Celtics started the game strong and, with less than six minutes left in the third quarter, were up by 20 points. However, Jalen Brunson took over on the offensive end of the floor and scored 18 points from that point as the Knicks rallied back to force overtime. Brunson finished the game with 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. Brunson also got some crucial support on offense from OG Anunoby, who finished the game with 29 points as well.
The Celtics led the league in 3-point shots made for the regular season, averaging 17.8 makes in 48.2 attempts per game (36.2 %). In Game 1, they went 15 of 60 from beyond the 3-point line, with Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White all struggling from there. Brown made one of his 10 attempts, Tatum made four of his 15 attempts, and White sank five of his 16 attempts. The Knicks were doing something right to hinder the Celtics’ perimeter offense.
In overtime, both teams scored very limited points as defense prevailed on both ends of the floor on most occasions. The Celtics scored only five points compared to the Knicks’ eight points after the game was tied at 100-100 to force overtime. Mikal Bridges, the former All-Defensive First Team member, stole the ball from Jaylen Brown in the final seconds to seal a Knicks victory at TD Garden.
The Knicks’ defense today exposed a major weakness in the Celtics’ offensive strategy: the over-reliance on the 3-point shot. If the Knicks can limit the Celtics once again in Boston during Game 2, then this series is theirs to lose. With the victory in Game 1, the Knicks have taken the home-court advantage and will now look to seal this series in Game 4 or Game 6.
