After losing the first game of the series at home, the Celtics face a must win game 2 as they once again host the New York Knicks. On Monday night in Game 1, the Celtics shot just 35.1% from the field and 25% from on threes and lost by just 2 points in overtime. They led by 20 points before allowing the Knicks to fight their way back to tie the game and then to win it in overtime.
The Celtics once again found themselves in the record books for their performance in Game 1 of the series, and not in a good way. They attempted 60 threes, which is a playoff record. They also missed 45 of those threes and that is also an NBA playoff record. 45 of the 60 threes they took were considered to be uncontested. The Celtics missed 32 of those.
These two teams have met in the playoffs 15 times with the Celtics winning 8 of those series and the Knicks winning 7 of those series. They first met in the playoffs in 1951 when the Knicks won the series 2-0. This is the first time they are meeting in the playoffs since 2013, Pierce and Garnett’s last season with the Celtics. It is the first time since 1984 that they are meeting past the first round. The Celtics went on to win the championship in that season.
Teams that win the first game of a 7 game series on the road win the series 52.6% of the time. On the other hand, teams that go up 2-0 in a series win the series 93.5% of the time. This statistic makes this game a must win for the Celtics. Of 462 teams that took a 2-0 lead in a 7 game series, 429 went on to win the series and 34 teams went on to win after being down 0-2.
In an anomaly, over the weekend, 3 teams that were favored by 8 points or more all lost their first game at home, so the Celtics weren’t alone. The Thunder, Cavaliers and Celtics were the three best teams in the NBA this season by a large margin. All three teams lost Game 1 at home to begin the conference semifinal round.
Both teams entered Game 1 with a clean injury report. That didn’t last long as after playing just 13 minutes, Kristaps Porzingis left the game with an illness and did not return to the game in the 2nd half. Coach Mazzulla said that he still has some problems from the respiratory illness that kept him out for 11 games in February and March. He is listed as probable for this game. If for some reason he can’t play, I would expect Al Horford to start in his place.
Sam Hauser played just under 4 minutes before injuring his ankle during a foul on an OG Anunoby three pointer. He limped off the court and did not return after suffering a sprained right ankle. He is listed as doubtful to play in this game. We may get to see some Torrey Craig or Baylor Scheierman in this game.
Probable Celtics Starters
Probable Celtics Starters
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Derrick White
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Kristaps Porzingis
Celtics Reserves
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Baylor Scheierman
Jordan Walsh
Luke Kornet
Torrey Craig
Xavier Tillman, Sr
JD Davison
Al Horford
2 Way Players
Drew Peterson
Miles Norris
Injuries/Out
Sam Hauser (ankle) doubtful
Kristaps Porzingis (illness) probable
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Probable Knicks Starters
PG: Jalen Brunson
SG: Mikal Bridges
SF: Josh Hart
PF: OG Anunoby
C: Karl-Anthony Towns
Knicks Reserves
Delon Wright
Cameron Payne
Miles McBride
Pacome Dadiet
Precious Azhiuwa
Tyler Kolek
PJ Tucker
Mitchell Robinson
Landry Shamet
Ariel Hukporti
2 Way Players
MarJon Beauchamp
Kevin McCullar, Jr
Anton Watson
Injuries/Out
None Listed
Head Coach
Tom Thibodeau
Key Matchups
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Jrue Holiday
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images
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Jalen Brunson
Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images
Jrue Holiday vs Jalen Brunson
Knicks’ All Star Jalen Brunson was voted Clutch Player of the Year this season. In Round 1, he averaged 31.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game. He shot 43.6% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. In 4 regular season games against the Celtics this season, he averaged 26.8 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while shooting 52.8% from the field and 43.3% from beyond the arc. In Game 1, he finished with 29 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals while shooting 39.1% from the field and 55.6% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to work harder to limit his 3 point looks and also his trips to the free throw line.
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Jayson Tatum
Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
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OG Anunoby
Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images
Jayson Tatum vs OG Anunoby
In the first round, Anunoby averaged 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 2.5 steals per game. Heshot 42.4% from the field and 35.1% from beyond the arc. In 3 regular season games against the Celtics this season he averaged 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal per game while shooting just 29.6% from the field and 13.3% from beyond the arc. In Game 1, he finished with 29 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal, while shooting 50% from the field and 54.5% from beyond the arc. Anunoby is also a very good defender and will make it harder for the Celtics to score. The Celtics need Tatum to play better on both ends of the court in order to win this game.
Honorable Mention
Kristaps Porzingis vs Karl-Anthony Towns
Towns gives the Knicks a strong presence in the paint along with the ability to spread the floor. In the first round, he averaged 19.7 points, 10 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. He shot 48.9% from the field and 48% from beyond the arc. In 4 games against the Celtics this season, he averaged 19.8 points, 12 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 53.4% from the field and 63.6% from beyond the arc. In Game 1, he struggled with foul trouble but still finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 1 steal. He shot 46.2% from the field but was just 0-1 on threes. Hopefully Porzingis will be available and will play well in this game.
Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is the key to winning every game. Defense is important in the regular season, but even more so in the playoffs. In the first round, the Celtics had a defensive rating of 103.8 (3rd) while the Knicks had a defensive rating of 109.4 (5th). The Knicks scored 108.6 points per game (6th) while the Celtics scored 106.4 points per game (10th). In the first round, the Celtics attempted just 31.2 threes per game (12th)while the Knicks attempted just 30.2 threes (14th). The Celtics allowed the Knicks to shoot 42.5% from the field and 45.9% from beyond the arc. They have to play better defense in this game, especially on the perimeter.
Rebound – The Celtics can’t score if they don’t have the ball, and the best way to get the ball is to grab rebounds. The Celtics need to rebound as a team with every Celtic battling on the boards. It will take a team effort to beat the Knicks on the boards. The Celtics were 9th in the first round with 42.2 rebounds per game, while the Knicks were 11th with 40.0 rebounds per game. The Celtics are 44-8 when tied or out-rebounding their opponents. The Celtics out-rebounded the Knicks 59-49 in Game 1 and that may be the only reason that they were so close even though they couldn’t hit anything from the perimeter. They need to keep that effort on the boards in this one in order to give themselves a chance to win the game.
Focus and Effort – The Celtics missed 45 of 60 threes in Game 1. Of the 60 threes they took, 45 were considered to be open shots. Of those 45 open shots, they missed 32. In order to miss that many open shots, the Celtics simply were not focused. Whether they were rusty after 5 days off, or overconfident, or just not focused on taking those shots, they have to do better in this game. If the 3’s are not falling again, their focus should be to get to the paint and get easy shots or draw fouls. They also need to play with more effort on the boards, in going after loose balls, and on defending the Knicks and keeping their focus on playing team ball. They have to keep their effort up for 48 minutes without any let up.
Move the Ball Carefully – The Celtics need to move the ball in order to find the best shot on each possession. When the ball sticks and players try to do too much, the Celtics struggle. We saw a lot of ISO plays in Game 1 and that is not the best option and often ends up in a turnover. They are at their best when they pass the ball and keep it moving. But they have to make careful passes and not get sloppy because the Knicks average 17.2 points off turnovers per game (5th). In Game 1, they scored 17 points off the Celtics 14 turnovers.
X-Factors
Home Game – The Celtics need to take advantage of home court and the boost their fans can give them. The Knicks will face a hostile crowd and an unfamiliar arena along with travel which will hopefully give the Celtics the edge. Teams play all season for home court and the Celtics need to take advantage of playing on their home court and not allow the Knicks a second win on their home court.
Injuries – After entering the series with a clean injury report, the Celtics already had to deal with injuries in Game 1 of this series. After playing just 13 ineffective minutes in the first half, Kristaps Porzingis left the game and didn’t return due to an illness that could be connected to the respiratory illness that kept him out 11 games in February and March. He is probable for this game and hopefully he can play. Sam Hauser, who struggled through most of the first round played just under 4 minutes before leaving with a sprained ankle. Injuries have already affected the Cavs, who lost the first 2 games at home while missing key players. The Celtics need Porzingis back and to avoid any other injuries.
Officiating – Officiating always has the potential to be an x-factor. Each officiating crew calls the game differently. Some refs call it tight and constantly call fouls while others let them play with few fouls called. Some refs just make terrible head-scratching calls. The Celtics need to adjust to how the refs are calling the game and not allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus.
Official Report
Crew Chief – James Capers – Capers has a home win/loss record of 21-14 this season. He calls 51% of fouls on the home team. The Celtics are 2-0- this season and 6-0 over the past 2 seasons with Capers as an official. The Knicks are 1-1 this season and 4-8 over the past 2 seasons with Capers. In the anonymous player poll, 4.6% of the players named Capers as one of the best referees.
Referee – Kevin Scott – Scott has a home win/loss record of 25-38 this season. He calls 50.7% of fouls against the home team. The Celtics are 6-0 this season and 9-0 over the past 2 seasons with Scott as an official. The Knicks are 2-1 this season and 5-2 over the past 2 seasons with Scott.
Umpire – Mark Lindsay – Lindsay has a home win/loss record of 33-35 this season. He calls 50.4% of fouls against the home team. The Celtics are 7-0 this season and 14-1 over the past 2 seasons with Lindsay as an official. The Knicks are 5-3 this season and 9-6 over the past 2 seasons with Lindsay calling the games. He called Game 5 of the first round series against the Magic.
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