Boston Celtics Dominate New York Knicks with Formulaic Approach
The Boston Celtics have taken a commanding lead in their second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, with many wondering if the Knicks can mount a comeback. According to Defector.com, the Celtics have led outright for approximately 128 minutes out of 149 minutes played across three games, with the teams tied for an additional 11 minutes. The Knicks have led for a mere 10 minutes in the series.
The Celtics’ dominance has been built on their ability to establish huge leads, reaching 20 points in each game, while the Knicks have never led by double digits. In fact, the Knicks have never had a three-possession lead in the series. Defector.com has created a metric to illustrate the disparity, calculating that the Knicks have a total of 90 "units of advantage" through three games, compared to the Celtics’ 9,088. While this metric may be "dumb and meaningless," it highlights the significant gap between the two teams.
The Celtics managed to secure a win in Game 3 on Saturday, avoiding a 3-0 deficit in the series. The team’s approach, according to Defector.com, was to stick to their "bread-and-butter" strategy, launching a high volume of three-pointers. The Celtics made a significant number of threes, with Defector.com noting that they "simply declined to lose." As James Edwards III, Knicks beat writer for The Athletic, noted, "To Boston’s credit, it stuck to its bread-and-butter."
However, this approach has raised questions about the Celtics’ reliance on three-point shooting. Jared Weiss, Celtics beat writer for The Athletic, noted that the team’s persistence in shooting threes, even when they are not falling, is both a strength and a weakness. As Weiss stated, "The Celtics have to grow and adjust to the reality of their competition. They live an idealized version of themselves and the sport itself. Hit more threes than your opponent and somehow magically overcome whatever shortcomings linger."
Weiss also highlighted the complexity of the game, noting that "threes are not a monolith" and that different types of shots can have varying effects. The Celtics’ coach, Joe Mazzulla, has been credited with encouraging his team to continue shooting threes, even when they are not falling. As Defector.com noted, "If the Celtics go cold in Game 4 and lose on the same bread-and-butter-only diet, will that also be to Boston’s credit?"
The Knicks, meanwhile, face a daunting task in trying to mount a comeback. Their defense was not sharp early in Game 3, and their rotations were slow. The team’s offense also struggled, with Defector.com noting that they need more from their offense to compete with the Celtics. The injury to Karl-Anthony Towns, which occurred on Saturday, is ominous and potentially fatal to the Knicks’ chances.
The Knicks’ coach, Tom Thibodeau, faces a bind with his center, Mitchell Robinson, who is struggling with fouls and free throw shooting. As Thibodeau noted, "If he’s making, he stays. If he’s not, we got to get him out." The team’s third center-like player, Precious Achiuwa, has seen limited playing time in the playoffs, and the Knicks may need to find alternative solutions to bolster their frontcourt.
In conclusion, the Celtics appear to be the dominant team in this series, with a formulaic approach that has yielded significant results. The Knicks face a challenging task in trying to mount a comeback, with injuries and personnel issues adding to their woes. As Defector.com noted, "The Celtics are roundly outplaying them through three games, and for the vast majority of the series have seemed like pretty definitively the better team."
