After a shocking loss in Game 1 of the Eastern Semifinals, the Boston Celtics are facing overwhelming pressure to avoid a 0-2 deficit in their first two games at home. Hours before tip-off at the TD Garden, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal gave some quality advice to the Celtics on what their approach should be for Game 2 tonight.
“Boston has always been a tale of two teams,” said O’Neal on Inside the NBA. “When they’re shooting the three-ball well, they’re hard to beat, but when they’re not shooting the three-ball well, they’re easy to beat,” said O’Neal. “My problem with Boston and all those guys is that, as a champion, you should know that when my shot is off, it’s time to do something else. My question is, how are you gonna respond tonight if you start missing threes, are you gonna keep lacking them up? Are you gonna mix it up, are you gonna let the game come to you and do certain things to win the game, or are you just gonna stick to the style of we’re shooting 60 threes? You should always let the game dictate how you play the game, don’t come before the game and say I’m gonna shoot this many threes.”
The Boston Celtics reached ultimate success in the NBA with their 2024 playoff run, which saw the franchise capture its first championship since 2008. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics have become a force in the East and are expected to be competing with the elites for years to come.
Since promoting Joe Mazzulla in 2023, however, the Celtics have become heavily reliant on the three-pointer, and critics agree that it’s arguably their biggest flaw as a team. Whether they make them or not, the Celtics are going to shoot, and it was part of the reason they lost in Game 1.
“I know it’s a 3-PT shooting league, but if you’re not making ’em, you’ve gotta have a plan B,” said Charles Barkley. “You shoot 20 shots and 19 of them are threes, clearly you’re missing because you have a 20-point lead that goes down to zero, and you lose the game. I’m not trying to hold on to me and Shaq’s past, but if you’re missing, you should have a plan B. If you’re up 20 and you shoot 19 out of 20 threes, and clearly you’re missing, why don’t you say, ‘let’s take it to the basket one time.’ That’s just a stupid plan and stupid coaching.”
The Celtics’ entire offense revolves around the three-pointer, and they were great at making the shot in the regular season (first in the league with an average of 17.8 threes per game). In the playoffs, however, the Celtics are refusing to deviate from their plan, and it could cost them the series against New York.
In Game 1, the Celtics went 15-60 from beyond the arc (25.0%) in a three-point loss at home. All but three of their players shot sub-50% from the field in an anemic offensive performance. In Game 2, the Celtics are going to try their luck from outside again, but they should change their approach if the threes aren’t falling.
With proven scorers like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics have other ways to score, and they’ll have to lean on them to make it through to the East Finals. Tonight, everything hinges on how the Celtics respond after a humbling loss in Game 1, and if they fail to adjust, it could result in failure.
