New York – You would find it difficult to find a lot that believed that New York Knicks would fully benefit from Boston Celtics being apparently on the ropes and punched after two shocking victories on the road.
This is because the Celtics put themselves there and made the rope, the Knicks in falsified hope, that the return to a mad garden Madison Square was going to bring out the best of the team at home.
Advertisement
It seems almost boring at this point. The title champion Celtics apparently creates new challenges on the road to a rehearsal, that simple competition is not enough.
They are like thrill seekers in search of the next summit, seeing what tip they can then withdraw.
“And with our next feat, see us calm 20,000 noisy New Yorkers and happy in one go!”
It took about 20 minutes of real time to see how serious the Celtics were to take over this second round series, 20 minutes to show how inserted they were within the friendly limits of the Boston Garden.
There would not be a third deficit of 20 points that the Celtics would abandon stupidly, and therefore they did not lose three rights, crushing the Knicks quite easily with a rout 115-93 on Saturday afternoon.
Advertisement
As much as the Celtics reaffirmed their domination remembered who they are in this series, they still drag 2-1 and have to link the series on Monday evening. Otherwise, they will face elimination and risk becoming the third consecutive reigning champion to lose in the second round.
But nobody really believes that it will be the case if the Celtics play a game where they concentrate halfway. They made 20 triples on Saturday and held the knicks just five, they refused to authorize Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to enter any type of good rhythm, and Payton Pritchard came out of the bench to hit five three and lead the team by scoring with 23 points.
The Jayson Tatum of the Celtics shoots the Knicks of the Knicks Bridges in the second half of the match 3 Saturday in New York. (Photo / Pamela Smith)
(Associated Press)
In other words, they played a typical May Celtics match on the road, which kept fans of silent and frustrated Knicks.
Advertisement
“These are the playoffs. It will be a different story, mainly after each match,” said Celtics striker Jayson Tatum. “I was recorded, I spoke a lot, not on the emotional roller coaster after a victory or a defeat. We have gone through a lot of games, a lot of series together.
“The home field is important. Being great in front of our fans is important – we appreciate their support. But at the same time, if you want to be special, if you want to be great, you have to win games on the road. But more importantly, it's about answering.”
This most recent account concerned the inability of the Celtics to hold the tracks while the Knicks had walked them during the two previous quarters, when Boston's attack became too anemic, too heavy at 3 points and without imagination.
Pulling 20% in the field and 15% of the 3 -point range, the production of the fourth quarter in matches 1 and 2, tends to bring out a credible criticism.
Advertisement
The Celtics were not going to change who they are overnight.
They still took 40 three in match 3 and have always hurt at the Knicks backup center Mitchell Robinson intentionally to send it to the line, probably leading it to the edge while each miss (4 out of 12) reached anxiety for him and the crowd.
And they played such a connected defense, a return to the fourth quarter was not going to occur – nor one in the third quarter or in the second. They held a 25-point lead at halftime and did not allow the Knicks a lot of life.
It may be because coach Joe Mazzulla has been in one of these strange places in recent days.
“You have to draw on your darkness,” said Mazzulla, opposite. “You have to do it.
Advertisement
“We had a test in front of us and a group of guys with whom I would not want someone else to go through it. This is the funny part. “
The Celtics had only eight reversals and showed, at least from this point of view, the only way they will lose this series and perhaps all the playoffs, it is if they are fighting.
“You have to beat us four times, that's what it comes back,” said Celtics goalkeeper Jaylen Brown. “Not twice, not one time, not three years, you have to win four games. So it's a lot of basketball to play.”
Brown did not have the best shooting evening, going 7 out of 18, but he attacked the basket and did not settle too much for disputed attempts in 3 points, and finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
Advertisement
Tatum experienced a rare big night from 3 points, reaching 5 out of 9 on the 22 -point path, 9 rebounds and 7 assists, but he fought again by two while the Knicks put the largest cities and Robinson on him.
In theory, he should blow them out and force a more conventional match, but he has not exploited it so far. For his standards, he should probably expect more than him – even if it did not cost him the cost here.
Upon entering the match, Tatum played 45 playoffs with Mazzulla as a head coach, and eight of his 20 shooting at an average of night per night came from the line of 3 points.
During this period, he took the most 3s (355) and only LeBron James (30%) has lower precision from there, with Tatum pulling 30.7% remotely.
Advertisement
The strategy of will, at least with Tatum at this point, does not seem to suit it best. And he has taken criticism for this – even more for the moments when his game does not meet expectations.
“You understand … which has just been” this guy “, said Tatum. “I receive a lot of praise, I receive a lot of credit, I receive a lot of distinctions. But, you know, I'm not perfect. There are times when you know, I needed to play better. I needed to do more. And this is what has just been “this guy”.
“People don't criticize me.
Tatum takes the heat for things that it is not more than and for its control. It has just been a champion, wanting to be a face of the NBA and the expectation that he should take this qualifying series and put his personal cachet on the questions.
Advertisement
And as tall as the Celtics staff, they are going through their own cuts and injuries this year. Kristaps Porziņģs cannot put himself in front of what bothers him, and Jrue Holiday fought against an injury to the hamstrings.
The more tatum will be necessary. This game is not enough.
“For me, it's just a feeling of joy with which I played, right? You know, entering an angry and crazy game against the world. It is not who I am,” said Tatum. “It is not at that time that I play my best. So I always say, you have to be the same person when things are fine and when things are not going very well. You can't change.”
It is clear that Celtics will not make many changes or give too much oxygen to even valid criticism. Being themselves should be sufficient to beat the long-term knicks, and they hope it will be enough when things undeniably become more difficult.
