If you had told me before the series that the Celtics would blow a 20-point lead at some point, I would have believed you, shrugged my shoulders and nodded my head.
But if you had told me that it would happen in both Game 1 and Game 2 at TD Garden, and that Boston would be down 0-2 right now, my eyes would have bulged and I would have given you a double take.
It’s honestly pretty hard to fathom that a team this talented, and this cohesive, could squander such a sizable lead twice in a row, at home against the Knicks, in a span of three days. But hey, that’s life. What happened happened; it’s all about how they respond.
Contrary to popular belief, this is actually a best-of-seven series, not a best-of-three. It’s anyone’s game, and in my eyes, it’s a complete toss-up from here on out. Nothing would surprise me at this point.
Here are three things to look for in Game 3 as the Celtics try to make it a series.
Can Jayson Tatum get it going?
The Jayson Tatum talk is a little absurd, frankly. Has he had a good series? Nope. Is he one of the best players in the world? Yep. Will he bounce back? Most likely.
Tatum is shooting 28.6 percent from the field and 25 percent from 3-point range through two games. While he’s averaging 15 rebounds and 5.5 assists a night, which shouldn’t be taken for granted, his shot has been…let’s just call it “off,” for the sake of simplicity (he’s not alone).
The Celtics are good enough where Tatum doesn’t have to drop 30-plus every night, but he does have to be efficient. I expect him to respond in a major way and have an excellent Game 3.
Will they blow a 20-point lead?
It’s counterintuitive, but the Knicks legitimately appear to be more dangerous when they fall behind by 20.
Maybe the Celtics should purposely let them hang around just so they can’t collapse late in the game. Well, OK, probably not, but they need to do something differently. It starts with playing with pace, not jacking up 3’s and continuing to move the ball. Oh, and playing defense. That usually helps.
Jalen Brunson living up to his Clutch Player of the Year status…
His game already is so predicated on tough shots and quirky movement that when the defense tightens up in crunch time he’s right at home. Superstar stuff. https://t.co/SVN0Ukhly4 pic.twitter.com/v8eGRqQ31l
— NBA University (@NBA_University) May 9, 2025
Jalen Brunson is a man on a mission, and he deserves a lot of credit, but it shouldn’t be as easy as it’s been. He even gave the Celtics a gift with that missed floater in Game 1, but players like that aren’t going to come up short multiple times with everything on the line. The clutch talk is deserved; he backs it up.
Get ready to do a lot of pacing around the living room if the Celtics go up 20 again. No lead is safe in the NBA, especially with this team in this environment.
If it’s down to the wire again, what does the final play look like?
Late-game execution should be better in general in the NBA, but the Celtics have taken it to a new level this series.
Let’s focus on Game 2. For starters, this isn’t a criticism of Jrue Holiday, who understands it’s “Tatum’s team,” but I believe Holiday should have kept the ball rather than giving it back to Tatum.
Run the offense through Holiday or Derrick White, let them make a decision and move the ball. The fact that there were no completed passes or no attempted shots on the final possession is mind-boggling. Kudos to Mikal Bridges for capitalizing once again, but that play says a lot more about the Celtics than it does about the Knicks.
Set screens, cut, be aggressive. Don’t be predictable; be adaptable. Anything but that.
Should they have won both of those games? Probably. Should they have won at least one? Absolutely. But they didn’t. Now, it’s up to the Celtics to respond. I’ve watched this team enough over the past two seasons to confidently say that I believe they will.
