Category: Sports News

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. 

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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.