Jalen Brunson Reacts To Knicks Forcing Celtics Into Wrong Side Of Playoff History Books

Jalen Brunson reacts after the Celtics end up missing 45 shots from beyond the 3-point line in Game 1 of their playoff series with the Knicks.

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Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

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.

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Chaitanya Dadhwal is an NBA Analyst and Columnist at Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. He fell in love with basketball in 2018 after seeing James Harden in his prime. He joined the sports journalism world in 2021, one year before finishing his law school in 2022. He attended Jindal Global Law School in Sonipat, India, where his favorite subject was also Sports Law.He transitioned from law to journalism after realizing his true passion for sports and basketball in particular. Even though his journalism is driven by his desire to understand both sides of an argument and give a neutral perspective, he openly admits he is biased towards the Houston Rockets and Arsenal. But that intersection of in-depth analysis and passion helps him simplify the fine print and complex language for his readers.His goal in life is to open his own sports management agency one day and represent athletes. He wants to ensure he can help bridge the gap in equal opportunity for athletes across various sports and different genders playing the same sport.
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