The Knicks rallied back from a 20-point deficit to take Game 2 in Boston against the Celtics. They went on a 21-2 run in the fourth quarter before a Jayson Tatum slam restored the Celtics’ lead with over 18 seconds left. Then the Knicks drew up a play for Jalen Brunson before a Jrue Holiday foul took him to the line. After Brunson knocked down both free throws, the Celtics did not take their final timeout.
With the ball in Tatum’s hand with 12 seconds left, he failed to get a shot up as the Knicks’ defense swarmed him. The game ended 91-90 in the Knicks’ favor after yet another Mikal Bridges defensive masterclass in the final possession, just like Game 1. Fans could not believe what the Knicks pulled off yet again. They took to social media to express their opinions about the game.
“Haliburton has been cleared, we have a new most overrated player”, said a fan who felt Jayson Tatum deserves the blame for this loss. The Celtics’ superstar finished the game with 13 points with a shooting efficiency he would likely want to forget. Tatum made 5 of 19 shots from the field, shooting 26.7% from the field (1 of 5 from beyond the 3-point line).
After a horrific first game of the series from beyond the three-point line, Tatum took relatively fewer shots from the arc. In comparison, Tatum averaged 10.1 shot attempts per game from beyond the three-point line.
“Guess he doesn’t have the mamba mentality”, said a fan, taking a shot at Tatum for his failure to match his role model Kobe Bryant’s standards.
“They said he was the next Kobe lmao”, said another fan who resonated with the same sentiment that Tatum is nowhere close to where Bryant was in his prime.
“Mikal Bridges earning his money this series!! Amazing defense!!”, said an excited Knicks fan. Mikal Bridges has come up clutch twice on the defensive end of the floor for the Knicks in this series. In Game 1, he stole the ball from Jaylen Brown and stopped a final shot when the Knicks were up by just one point. Now in Game 2, he didn’t let Tatum get a final shot up either.
“Jayson Tatum, Jason Statham, As Salaam Walaikum. Knicks in 6”, said a Knicks fan, hilariously referring to Shannon Sharpe’s famous “Lakers in 5” quotes that have turned into a viral joke.
What Does This Mean For The Knicks And The Celtics?
A mountain to climb for the Celtics, this game brings a comfortable lead for the Knicks, taking the series back to Madison Square Garden in New York. This is a major test for the resilience of the defending champions. 92.7% of the teams that have taken a 2-0 lead in a Playoff series have gone on to win the series. It’s a battle against the odds for the Celtics.
Jaylen Brown will also hold tremendous pressure on his shoulders despite having the worst run of his career in terms of shooting efficiency during the Playoffs. He’s shooting a career-low 44% from the field and only 32% from threes. The Game 1 record-breaking loss has taken a hit on the Celtics’ confidence. They need to find a way of generating offense inside the paint, and Brown will have to be as pivotal as Tatum in making that happen for the Celtics.
