Why Steve Kerr believes Draymond Green will be ready for Game 3 after incident originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green dealt with a lot during the Warriors’ Game 2 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night at Target Center.

After picking up a technical foul in the first half and facing racist taunts from a fan during the fourth quarter, Green issued a short, impassioned statement to a few media members in the locker room before leaving.

But with an important Game 3 set for Saturday night at Chase Center, Warriors coach Steve Kerr is confident the 35-year-old forward will be fine when the players take the court.

“I don’t think it will impact the game,” Kerr told reporters on a conference call Friday afternoon. “I wasn’t aware of what happened, in terms of the fan, like the insults, until I read about it this morning. I talked to him about that and we did talk about the technical counts and just the whole set of circumstances, but I know Draymond well. He’s going to be ready to go tomorrow. He’s going to play a great game.

“He understands where we are in the series and we have this great opportunity. It’s 1-1 and we’ve got home-court advantage. We got our home crowd tomorrow. So he’s excited. I’m excited and we moved past all that stuff.”

Green’s technical foul for hitting Timberwolves center Naz Reid in the head is his fifth infraction in nine games this postseason. Two more and Green faces a one-game suspension.

Long after the outcome of the game had been decided, Green, who played 29 minutes in the 117-93 loss, was riding a stationary bike near the tunnel when he appeared to be taunted by a fan sitting nearby.

The Timberwolves issued a statement Friday morning, which Kerr commended.

“The only thing I can say is that the Timberwolves handled it perfectly,” Kerr said Friday. “For their security to be on it and remove the fan. Obviously, that stuff is ugly and unacceptable. And so we want to thank the Timberwolves organization for handling it as well as they possibly could. I just think that things like this happen occasionally.

“Happened to me a couple of times as a player. Fans crossing the line, yelling stuff at you. It’s painful. I can’t sit here and claim to know what it would be like to be in Draymond’s shoes as a Black man, to hear racially insensitive comments like that.

“But I’ve heard my share of stuff that’s really painful and hurtful and it’s not ideal, but you always want the support of the security and the crowd, the home crowd, and like I said, the Wolves handled that beautifully and Draymond is handling it really well.”

But Kerr wanted to make it clear that one fan doesn’t represent an entire fanbase or city.

“It’s unacceptable for any fan to do that to a player,” Kerr said. “When you say it’s unacceptable, there has to be action that goes with that term, and that’s exactly what the Timberwolves did. Security immediately ejected the fan, so we are really grateful for the way that the T-Wolves handled the situation.

“I know that ‘Minnesota Nice’ is a phrase to describe Minnesotans and I found that to be 100 percent true. The last few days, every single person I ran into was so kind and everybody was saying the same thing like ‘I’m pulling for the T-Wolves, but you guys are always welcome in our city.’ It’s a real thing, the hospitality in Minneapolis, in Minnesota.

“So I never take words from one person and label a city with that. There’s just going to be people, individuals, sometimes they’re drunk, whatever, who cross the line and it’s unfortunate but it doesn’t at all impact my view of the city of Minneapolis.”

Kerr has been open about how, when he played college basketball at Arizona, fans taunted him regarding the murder of his dad, Malcolm, in a terrorist attack in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1984.

So, while Kerr might be the right person to ask if fans hurling racial or other insensitive taunts should be banned from attending future NBA games, he doesn’t want that weight on his shoulders.

“It’s a good question,” Kerr told reporters. “I kind of leave that up to the league to decide. They have their protocols, their rules, But these ugly incidents are … I don’t think they’re common but they do happen occasionally and I mentioned earlier, they happened to me when I was in college. Not racial taunts, but taunts about my father, who had been killed in a terrorist act a year earlier or so. That was the most shocking moment of my entire playing career to hear somebody saying something like that, that was so personally hurtful and painful and intentionally trying to hurt me.

“And so, I empathize with every athlete, whether it’s Draymond last night getting taunted about racial taunts, whether it’s really anything. It seems like a few times a year, you read about situations like this. I think Russell Westbrook, in Utah a few years ago, had to go through something like that, and it’s unfortunate but like I said, I believe most of these incidents are pretty isolated and it’s really important that people handle them the right way and the Timberwolves absolutely handled it the right way.”

Kerr understands what Green is going through, but he fully expects his star forward to bring his best self in a game the Warriors need to win Saturday night.

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If fortune really does favor the bold, the Knicks' pair of stunning comeback road wins against the Celtics this week bode well for the remainder of their Eastern Conference semifinal bout. NBA history is on their side, too, as teams with a 2-0 advantage in a best-of-seven series have advanced nearly 93 percent of the time.

The Knicks, entering Game 3 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden with full momentum and better health, are primed to take a commanding 3-0 lead over the reigning champions and silence even more doubters. But it's still way too early for any chatter about a potential sweep -- comfort is a luxury they're unwilling to accept.

"Control the controllables, and do everything we can to put ourselves in a position to win," Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said after Friday's practice. "If we can do that, we'll live with the results. Don't take it for granted, don't get comfortable. You've got to be as desperate as we've been these last two games, in Game 3 and on. Never get comfortable with any success. Never too high, never too low."

While there's no such thing as style points in the playoffs, the Knicks undoubtedly have to clean up their game on both ends of the court. In spite of their improbable victories -- they had never won consecutive playoff games at TD Garden before -- both games featured 20-point deficits midway through the third quarter. They were also outrebounded twice.

The Knicks also can't count on more pitiful three-point shooting from the Celtics, who've gone a pitiful 25 percent (25-of-100) from beyond the arc. They can't expect Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum to keep shriveling up in fourth-quarter crunchtime, or dig another massive hole with inconsistent first-half performances.

Whether or not the first two games have crushed the Celtics' spirit, the Knicks must realize the numbers aren't sustainable and the series is far from over. After all, they've yet to play their best brand of basketball. The reality that their game can still be elevated could serve as an extra source of motivation. Their foot can't come off the gas pedal.

"The mentality is 0-0. Don't even focus on [the series lead]. Focus on the next play, the next quarter," Knicks captain Jalen Brunson said. "Don't look ahead, don't look into anything. Just focus on the task at hand and be present... The game is unpredictable. No matter what you prepare for, there's going to be things that happen that you're not really ready for... We've got to be locked-in together."

The Knicks now own home-court advantage, and perhaps an exceptionally raucous Garden crowd will help them buck a trend. While they've proven to be road warriors, they finished 27-14 at home during the regular season and lost two of three home games in their first-round series against the Pistons.

Why Perk believes Butler must ‘fit out' amid Steph's injury absence originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Retired NBA veteran and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins believes star Warriors forward Jimmy Butler must be more aggressive in the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Steph Curry indefinitely out with a Grade 1 hamstring strain.

Perkins’ take comes one day after Butler finished with a role player-esque 17 points on 6-for-13 shooting with seven rebounds and four assists in Golden State’s 117-93 Game 2 loss to Minnesota.

“It’s the line LeBron [James] told Luka [Dončić] – ‘Don’t fit in, fit out.’ Jimmy, they need you to fit out now,” Perkins said on Thursday night’s post-game edition of ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” “You’re not the second option, you’re not the Robin – you’re the Batman. Thirteen shot attempts are not going to cut it; minimum 20 shot attempts going into this game. And that has to be the message delivered from Steve Kerr and Draymond Green in order for them to stay afloat, if Steph Curry returns.

“Jimmy is going to have to be aggressive. I love when he’s a point forward and they’re clicking on all cylinders, but to be on the road in Game 2, you look for your guy – your franchise guy, your No. 1 option – to set the tone early; Jimmy didn’t do that, but I believe he will do that at home [in] Game 3 or Game 4. We will be talking about Jimmy Butler. He will be going viral because he will have a 40-piece night.”

The six-time NBA All-Star earned the “Playoff Jimmy” nickname for his postseason prowess. But Butler didn’t look like his old Miami Heat self for the Warriors in Game 2.

Without Curry, who won’t return until Game 6 at the earliest, per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Golden State needs Butler to ditch his Robin act for Batman. Butler showed in the first-round series against the Houston Rockets that he is capable of scoring 25-plus points – a feat he did three times in the opening round – and must make that level of production the norm while Curry is out.

Butler, who was too unselfish in Game 2, can’t approach the rest of the series as a pass-first facilitator, which he worrisomely described after Thursday’s loss.

“I don’t have a burden or expectation,” Butler told reporters postgame about potentially feeling pressure to score with Curry sidelined. “I don’t. I play basketball the right way. I will continue to play basketball the right way. If that time comes where your people that are saying whatever, [I’m] supposed to score 40 or 43, whatever the case may be, I’m capable of it. I can do it, but I love making sure that my guys are comfortable, passing the ball to them, taking the right shots at the right time. 

“But we’ll talk about it, if that may be needed. Who knows.”

Perkins talked about “it.” And Dub Nation and probably the entire basketball world “knows” Butler must activate “Jimmy Buckets” mode.

The real question, however, is whether the 35-year-old, who repeatedly has expressed gratitude for being a sidekick in the Bay compared to a centerpiece in South Beach, has another legendary, team-carrying run left in the tank.

Golden State’s championship hopes seem to rest on Butler’s shoulders.

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Why Kerr believes Warriors' Game 2 loss to Timberwolves was ‘helpful' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors entered Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Timberwolves expecting an uphill battle without superstar Steph Curry, who remains out with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain.

Minnesota’s 117-93 win on Thursday night at Target Center reflected the sentiment.

However, now entering Game 3 on Saturday evening at Chase Center, Golden State coach Steve Kerr believes that – given the circumstances – the loss might end up being beneficial.

Kerr explained to reporters on Friday why he is confident the Warriors can build on their series-tying loss to the Timberwolves.

“We have to do it based on feel, but we can also do it based on last night and having a tape to watch,” Kerr said about Golden State’s preparation. “That’s why I think that game was very helpful for us. Despite the loss, we learned a lot, the players learned a lot, and I think we’ll have a concrete plan coming into tomorrow that we’ll feel good about. 

“And of course, we have to adapt and adjust based on how the game is going.”

There is no scenario where Golden State would want to lose a playoff game by 24 points. But Kerr has to work with and find positives in what he has.

Because of Curry’s absence and the Warriors’ general weariness, Kerr played 14 players, with only two – Jimmy Butler and Brandin Podziemski – surpassing 30 minutes. A direct byproduct, players who need to step up in Curry’s absence, such as Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis, flourished, efficiently scoring 18 and 16 points, respectively.

Kerr and the Warriors’ current task is simple: Stave off elimination until, ideally, Curry can return healthy. So, while Game 3 surely will be another chess match between Kerr and Timberwolves coach Chris Finch, at least Kerr has a better idea of who might give Golden State its best shot with the NBA’s all-time greatest shooter in the waiting.

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How can Celtics regain their footing after digging a hole vs. Knicks? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Joe Mazzulla embraces when things get uncomfortable. Now it’s time for his team to do the same. 

The Celtics trail the New York Knicks 2-0 in their Eastern Conference semifinal series as the venue shifts to Madison Square Garden this weekend. The Celtics have to find a way to dig themselves out of the improbably large hole they’re in after blowing a pair of 20-point leads at home. 

Here are four ways the Celtics can get back on level footing in New York: 

1. Make open shots

We typically roll our eyes when people want to distill the game down to shot-making. The “It’s a make or miss league!” analysis tends to ignore a bunch of important variables. But Boston is an 0-2 hole in this series because literally the entire team has forgotten how to make open shots. 

Forget the 3s. The Celtics have missed 25 of 45 layup attempts in this series. LAYUPS! Boston’s shooting percentages are down double-digits in almost every spot on the floor, and for every type of shot.

Boston is shooting 24.2 percent (26 for 107) on all open shots (4+ feet of space from nearest defender) through two games. During the regular season, Boston made 42.4 percent of those same shots (1,485 of 4,355), per NBA tracking. Even if we just make all those open misses 2-point shots, that’s nearly 40 points of total offense the team has sacrificed while missing open looks. 

Is it wildly oversimplifying things to say that if the Celtics made just one or two more shots per game, they’d be up 2-0 in this series? When you’ve had two 20-point, second-half leads and lost by a total of four points, it doesn’t feel that way.

There’s much more to it, especially Boston’s plodding pace and plummeting shot quality in the fourth quarter when games get tight. But it’s still improbable that the NBA’s second-best offense (119.5 points per 100 possessions) has plummeted to 99.5 points per 100 possessions over the past two games.

The Knicks deserve plenty of credit — more on that later — but Boston’s shooting woes are almost unfathomable. We’re left recalling how Brad Stevens fretted over his team going into a “two-week slump” when Boston lost in seven games to the Miami Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals.

And this slump might actually be even worse.

2. Better fourth-quarter possessions

The Celtics have generated a total of 33 points on 9-of-45 shooting (4 for 26 beyond the 3-point arc) in the two fourth quarters of this series while being outscored by a total of 22 points. It gets worse when you look at the shot location data.

Boston is 5-of-9 from inside five feet but is an impossible 4-of-36 on anything deeper in the fourth quarter. The Celtics are 0-for-9 on pull-up jumpers. They are 0-for-4 on stepback jumpers. They are 0-for-4 on turnarounds.

Again, the Knicks have done an excellent job making the paint seem crowded and deterring the Celtics from attacking. But often it feels like Boston is trying to kneel out the clock when it first builds a 20-point lead, then doesn’t know how to kick it back to high gear when things get tight.

In Game 1, the Celtics were walking the ball up the court while down six in overtime. In Game 2, they settled way too often for perimeter looks in crunch time. 

Boston’s offensive woes have bled into the defensive end. The Knicks have an effective field goal percentage of 55.7 percent in the fourth quarter of these last two games, scorching Boston with timely 3s. The Celtics haven’t routinely finished possessions by securing rebounds, allowing painful second-chance opportunities at inopportune times. 

It’s one thing to blow a lead. That happens all the time in the NBA as these playoffs have emphasized. But the Celtics have to catch themselves quicker. That’s on both Mazzulla and his players. They have to know when they have to work harder for higher-efficiency looks.

The Knicks only get stronger in clutch time, and the Celtics, after doing that throughout last year’s playoff run, have struggled to match New York’s late-game energy. 

3. Earning their wings

While many of Boston’s woes are self-inflicted, the Knicks — and the wings they brought in over the past 18 months in particular — deserve a whole bunch of credit for the defensive disruptions they’ve caused. 

The Celtics are shooting a measly 20.6 percent (7 of 34) when OG Anunoby is the primary defender in this series, per NBA tracking. That’s a staggering 25.1 percent lower than expected output.

Anunoby defended half of Jayson Tatum’s offensive possessions in Game 1 and allowed just 3 points on 1-of-6 shooting with 2 turnovers. In Game 2, Anunoby guarded 53.2 percent of Tatum’s offensive possessions and didn’t allow a single point on only one shot attempt. Tatum has generated just three points in 83.8 possessions against Anunoby on 1-of-7 shooting, per the NBA’s tracking.

He’s not the only one struggling with Anunoby. Derrick White is 0-for-6 shooting with a turnover against him. Jrue Holiday is 0-for-3 with a turnover. Jaylen Brown has scored 5 points on 2-of-7 shooting with a turnover against Anunoby.

The Celtics have had slightly more success against Bridges (10-for-26 shooting, 38.5 percent, 8.5 percent below expected) but he’s absolutely smothered Boston’s last-gasp attempts in both Games 1 and 2.

The Celtics are making it a point to hunt matchups with lesser defenders in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, but the length of Anunoby and Bridges has really deterred them from attacking more. 

4. Embrace the challenge

The road brought out the best in the Celtics this season. They set a franchise record while going 33-8 (.805) away from their own Garden. MSG is going to be electric, even with a weird Saturday matinee looming. Tatum has routinely embraced playing on the Broadway stage and must do the same this weekend.

Two quiet games have national pundits questioning Tatum’s place in the NBA hierarchy, just one week after everyone pondered if he was the best player in the playoffs based on how he shredded the Magic for three straight 35+ point games.

This is just the way it goes. Two losses are enough for some to start wondering if Boston’s title last year was a fluke.

That’s the reality these days. We all need something to scream about on TV. The Celtics can change those narratives in a hurry by simply getting back to what made them so successful the past two seasons.

There are those who still gripe that Boston’s path was too easy last season, even if the Celtics simply made it look easy. Regardless, Boston has encountered more adversity here than it did during all of last year’s run and must work to reverse the narratives yet again.

Kristaps Porzingis’ health woes haven’t helped matters. Brown is still grinding through his own knee issues. But the Celtics simply have to play better and smarter. 

Boston managed to avoid putting itself in a compromised spot during last year’s run. Every adventure is different. The Celtics have to show they can win differently than they did last year. They have to embrace the journey.

Ex-Celtic defends Tatum and Brown amid recent criticism originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

While the NBA world points fingers at Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for the Boston Celtics’ struggles against the New York Knicks, one of their ex-teammates has their back.

Grant Williams came to Tatum and Brown’s defense on Friday, weighing in on social media with his thoughts on recent criticisms of the tandem.

“Not even with them anymore but this C’s discourse is wild,” Williams wrote on X. “Everyone has a right to an opinion but JT and JB are Superstars. They are able 2 have bad games but we’ve all witnessed them both takeover. Don’t let recent events cloud your eyes from what they’ve done and accomplished.”

The Celtics fell into a 2-0 hole in the Eastern Conference semifinals after blowing their second consecutive 20-point lead on Wednesday. Tatum scored a season-low 13 points and failed to get the potential game-winning shot off before the final buzzer. He and Brown shot a combined 13-for-42 (30.9 percent) from the floor.

Williams built close relationships with Tatum and Brown during his four-year tenure with Boston from 2019-23. Tatum called WIlliams his “brother for life” before a game against Williams’ current team, the Charlotte Hornets, last year.

Earlier this season, however, Williams drew the ire of his ex-Celtics teammates after a hard foul on Tatum. An irritated Brown went as far as to say, “I thought JT and Grant were friends. I guess not.”

Nonetheless, it’s clear Williams still has the utmost respect for Tatum and Brown, who got over the hump and won their first NBA championship without him in 2024. The duo has a difficult road toward repeating, as Boston must win four of the next five games to stay alive.

The series will shift to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 on Saturday. Coverage of the matchup is set for 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston with Celtics Pregame Live.

Can Celtics overcome 0-2 deficit? Here's what recent NBA playoff history says originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics are in a tough spot after losing the first two games at home to begin their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the New York Knicks.

There’s no way around it. Boston has a difficult job ahead.

But overcoming an 0-2 deficit is not an insurmountable task. In fact, it’s actually happened fairly often in recent NBA history.

There has been at least one team in each of the last four postseasons to win a series after losing the first two games. It’s also happened in eight of the last nine years.

Two of these teams — 2017 Celtics over Bulls, 2021 Clippers over Mavericks — overcame that deficit to win the series after losing the first two games at home.

• 2024: Pacers over Knicks in conference semifinals
• 2023: Warriors over Kings in first round
• 2022: Mavericks over Suns in conference semifinals
• 2021: Clippers over Mavericks in first round, over Jazz in conference semifinals; Bucks over Nets in conference semifinals, over Suns in NBA Finals
• 2020: None
• 2019: Raptors over Bucks in conference finals
• 2018: Cavaliers over Celtics in conference finals
• 2017: Celtics over Bulls in first round
• 2016: Cavaliers over Warriors in NBA Finals, Trail Blazers over Clippers in first round

Overall, 34 teams in league history have overcome an 0-2 deficit to win a playoff series.

The Celtics have overcome an 0-2 deficit twice.

The first was in 2017 against the Chicago Bulls in the first round. The Celtics lost the first two games at home but won the next four matchups.

The other example was all the way back in 1969 when the Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

The Celtics have built a 20-point lead in both of the first two games against the Knicks. They’ve also shot just 25 percent (25-for-100) from 3-point range through two games, which is well below their regular season rate. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have not played at a superstar level. And yet, despite so much going wrong, the Celtics lost by just three points in overtime in Game 1 and lost by only one point in Game 2.

If the Celtics play anywhere near the level they’re capable of, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them win Game 3 on Saturday afternoon and put the pressure back on the Knicks. Boston has won four straight games at Madison Square Garden and its 33-8 road record this season was the second-best in league history.

Williams states Draymond has anger issues but isn't ‘angry Black man' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Stephen A. Smith, Jay Williams and Michael Wilbon all gave their thoughts on Draymond Green’s comments after last night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center.

The 35-year-old’s emotional comments came in the aftermath of Green getting a technical foul for elbowing Minnesota’s Naz Reid and being heckled by a fan who made racially charged remarks.

“Is Draymond Green an angry Black man? No, I don’t think so,” Williams told Smith and Brian Windhorst on ESPN’s “First Take.” “But does he have anger issues on the court? Yes, he does.”

For Smith, a longtime NBA analyst and reporter who knows Green very well, it’s a matter of how referees and fans view the Warriors forward as a player, since they don’t know him off the court.

“At the end of the day, what people know is what they see, which comes back to what Jay is pointing out. It’s what they see,” Smith said. “They don’t know Draymond Green off the court. They don’t know how philanthropic he is. They don’t know what a great family man he is. All they know is the player they see on the court.

“And when you know that’s all that they know, but you don’t guard against showing that, then you’re not going to garner the level of empathy or understanding that you might like.”

While Green has become one of the best defensive players in NBA history, his style of play has gotten him in hot water with the league on many occasions. From flagrant to technical fouls and long suspensions for physically striking players, Green has developed a reputation, fair or not, and while he has done a lot to work on controlling his emotions, he still is responsible for his actions on the court.

“Draymond Green has 37 technical fouls in the postseason since entering the league in 2012-2013,” Smith said. “That is 15 more than any other player. Why do I bring that up? Because the same Draymond that Wilbon, myself, you Windy [would] all defend and say, ‘He’s a good man, he’s a really good dude, he’s very smart, he’s family-oriented, at this core he is as decent as they come.’ It’s hard not to have love for Draymond if you know him a little bit.

“But there does come a point in time where you’re saying to yourself, ‘There is some culpability here, alright?’ ”

Still, the heckling by Minnesota fans undoubtedly contributed to Green’s comments, with one fan getting ejected from the arena. The Timberwolves organization is investigating the incident, and potential discipline for the fan could be forthcoming. For Wilbon, the heckling played a big part in Green’s reaction, one that resonates with the longtime ESPN host and commentator.

“Those comments resonate more with some people than others,” Wilbon said. “It resonates with me. Unlike Draymond, I usually wake up as an angry black man most days, not all of them. And if I had been there last night, I might have been [in the tunnel to talk to him]. I’ve talked to Draymond a lot recently. To me, that’s a trigger. Somebody or something triggered him.”

Green is at his best when playing ferocious defense that is within the NBA rules. He’s at his worst when he makes needless contact with opposing players. The 35-year-old will have to keep his emotions in check in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals if the Warriors are to get back in the series.

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Stephen A believes Warriors winning without Steph is ‘Butler's job' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Stephen A. Smith believes Jimmy Butler has to step up in Steph Curry’s absence and win one game for the Warriors. 

The ESPN analyst gave his thoughts after the Minnesota Timberwolves thrashed Golden State 117-93 in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals.

“Jimmy Butler has got to be good for a game, he’s got to be,” Smith told Michael Wilbon and Brian Windhorst Friday on ESPN’s “First Take.” “That’s what you got him there for. You got him there for more than that, but especially in a situation like this. Jayden McDaniels, Julius Randle and [Anthony Edwards] when guarding Jimmy Butler, Jimmy Butler is shooting 13 percent in this series, two of 15, he’s got to do better.

“He’s got to be able to get you one game. And that’s really what this comes down to. Knowing Steph Curry is going to be out, Draymond [Green] shooting 1-of-6 from three and not scoring too much last night. Buddy Hield, you expected a little bit more.

“Jimmy Butler can’t be shooting 39 percent from the field; he’s got to raise his level of play and be the guy we know him to be come postseason for one game. Because if the reports are right, Steph Curry will be back, hopefully by Game 5, worst-case scenario, Game 6. They’ll either be tied 2-2, hopefully, or even if they’re down 3-2, you’ve got to have a chance. But you’ve got to get a game without Steph Curry.”

"Jimmy Butler has got to be good for a game. … You got to get a game without Steph Curry. That's Jimmy Butler's job."

—@stephenasmith on if the Timberwolves-Warriors series is over pic.twitter.com/7uqv1WYtq2

— First Take (@FirstTake) May 9, 2025

With Curry out due to a Grade 1 hamstring strain, Minnesota took full advantage, pummeling Golden State from tipoff. Butler and the rest of the Warriors’ offense had no answer for Edwards and the Timberwolves, who rebounded from a poor shooting night in Game 1 to light it up from beyond the arc.

Between poor shot selection, sloppy ball handling and an inability to attack the rim, Golden State was out of sorts the entire contest.

Now the series heads to Chase Center, where the Warriors can get back on track. Without Curry, Butler will need to turn into “Playoff Jimmy” and put the team on his back as he has done so many previous postseasons.

Otherwise, Golden State will be headed for an early playoff exit before Curry can return to the floor.

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After the Knicks’ second 20-point comeback in two games gave them a 2-0 series lead over the Celtics, their locker room was surprisingly muted, as reported by SNY’s Ian Begley.

“I don’t think we’ve played as well as we can,” OG Anunoby said. 

“We’ve got to figure out (how to put together) a complete game,” Josh Hart echoed.

New York may have come away with two impressive upset wins on the road, but they are rightfully focused on the improvements they need to make in Game 3 over the results of the prior contests. They know as well as anybody that Boston is the reigning NBA champion for a reason, and that two wins don’t make a series, four does. 

It’ll take the Knicks’ best efforts to win two more and put the Celtics away for good. Here are three improvements they should look to make as they head back to New York and MSG for the next two contests.

Defensive rebounding

During the regular season, Boston only ranked 18th in offensive rebounding, hardly a major strength in their attack. Yet against New York, they’ve dominated securing second-chance opportunities. 

The Celtics are pulling in 36.2 percent of their misses over the two games of this series, which would have been good for second in the league during the regular season. They’ve secured 35 offensive rebounds, partially a product of their voluminous missing, but still a major concern for the Knicks, who pride themselves on cleaning the defensive glass.

New York struggled with the higher-volume offensive rebounding teams during the regular season, which appears to have played a role in Boston’s game planning. The Celtics are attacking their own misses and getting rewarded for it, not enough to win either of the first two games, but enough to see it’s a flaw they can exploit.

There aren’t particular Celtics hurting the Knicks (though Kristaps Porzingis has seven in only 27 minutes of play), it's more a team effort that New York needs to adjust to with more boxing out and maybe a personnel move. Most offensive boards have come right around the rim, and most of those have been guys grabbing or tipping their own miss.

Perimeter players are also flying towards the rim and free throw circle to catch some surprise rebounds. Lots of this can be corrected with some more diligent effort and poise on that end.

If that doesn’t do the trick, the Knicks may look towards rotational changes. New York is gathering 70 percent of Boston misses with Hart off the floor vs. just 62.6 percent with him on.

Meanwhile, the Knicks went on their Game 2 comeback in large part with Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns sharing the court, giving them two rebounding bigs vs. their usual look of one plus Hart. We could see more of these minutes at MSG if the rebounding doesn’t turn around. 

Get KAT more involved

Towns currently has 35 points on 29 shots in the series' first two games, having attempted only two threes so far, despite a standout series against Detroit and a 34-point outburst in his last regular-season matchup with the C’s. New York’s been winning the series on defense, holding Boston to a 90’s era under 99.5 points per 100 possessions, but their offense has been equally sluggish, and Towns could give them the right kick.

Boston put their wings on Towns while having their center play off Hart, essentially giving Towns a one-on-one mismatch each trip down the court. While New York’s gone some stretches intentionally feeding Towns low against these undersized defenders, to success, it hardly lasts.

In fact, despite playing 25 of 29 potential fourth quarter and overtime minutes this series, Towns has only attempted five field goals and scored seven points in those minutes. That can’t suffice for your second-best offensive player, who once again has a glaring advantage in this series. 

While his three-point volume will be a tough solve given how tightly guarded he’s been, just getting Towns some more looks should be an emphasis going into Game 3. He’s been the most efficient scorer of the starters behind Hart, and even if he isn’t converting can help get the Celtics in foul trouble with his physicality and paint touches. 

The Knicks may need to throw in some new sets the Celtics haven’t seen - they’re switching and denying any plays to get Towns a clean touch down low. But this is likely more of an approach problem than a schematic one, and New York will simply need to lock in further on getting Towns the rock. 

Play a full 48 minutes

This one is a much simpler adjustment. The Knicks had to come back down 20 in both road games after getting off to slow starts.

Pulling that off a third or fourth time would be increasingly improbable, and they’re better off not falling far behind in the first place. They have a chance to take a commanding lead in the series at home, and should do so in commanding fashion.

That takes 100% effort for 100% of the game, not leaving any doors open for bad stretches and Boston runs. If they can accomplish that, they’re in good shape to make the conference finals.

History suggests Tatum is primed for a bounce-back Game 3 vs. Knicks originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has been criticized the last couple days for his performance through two games in the Eastern Conference semifinals versus the New York Knicks.

And the criticism is mostly fair. Tatum has not played to his superstar standard in this series, and it’s one of the reasons why the Knicks have a surprising 2-0 lead.

Tatum has scored a total of 36 points on 12-for-42 shooting (5-for-20 on 3-pointers) with eight turnovers in two games. He’s also shooting 1-for-12 (0-for-7 from 3-point range) in the fourth quarter. Tatum knows he must be better.

“I take full ownership for the way that I’ve played in this series,” Tatum told reporters at a press conference Thursday. “Can’t sugarcoat anything. I need to be better. And I expect to be a lot better.”

The good news for the Celtics is that the chances of Tatum bouncing back with a stellar Game 3 are pretty good. The reason for that is recent history.

Simply put: When Tatum is under pressure and the Celtics have their backs against the wall, he has delivered more often than not, especially on the road. He has eight 30-point road games since the start of the 2023 postseason.

In the first round against the Orlando Magic, Tatum scored 37 points with 14 rebounds in a Game 4 win that gave the Celtics a 3-1 series lead. Tatum scored 16 points in the fourth quarter.

It was one of many great Tatum games on the road when his team really needed it.

The best example was probably Game 6 of the 2022 conference semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks. Tatum scored 46 points with nine rebounds in Milwaukee to save the C’s from elimination. Boston won the series in Game 7.

He did something similar a year later in Game 6 of the conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers with 16 points in the fourth quarter to save Boston from elimination. The C’s won the series in Game 7.

During last season’s run to an NBA championship, Tatum averaged 27 points, 10 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game on the road in the postseason. In the 2023 playoffs, Tatum put up 26.4 points, 11.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game on the road. In the 2022 playoffs, Tatum scored 27.1 points per game away from home.

Tatum’s stellar play away from TD Garden is one of the primary reasons why the Celtics have a 22-9 road playoff record since the beginning of 2022. It’s the best road playoff record of any team during that time. And if the Celtics are going to overcome this 0-2 deficit and eliminate the Knicks, they have to win at least two games on the road.

The Celtics have won four consecutive games at Madison Square Garden and five of their last six in New York since the start of the 2022-23 campaign. Tatum scored 40 points against the Knicks in a 27-point win on Feb. 8. He scored 32 points and hit some clutch shots in the overtime win on April 8.

Tatum’s record on the road in big playoff games speaks for itself. That’s why Celtics fans should feel confident going into Game 3. This is the type of scenario where Tatum often steps up and gives the Celtics a great performance when they absolutely need it.