Knicks gain from Celtics’ record low performance in 3-point shooting

BOSTON – Knicks Witness Historical Moment in Game 1 Victory

The Knicks found themselves on the winning side of an extraordinary game on Monday night. They were up against a Celtics team that, unfortunately for them, set a record for the most missed three-point attempts in NBA playoff history.

Boston’s staggering 45 misses contributed significantly to the Knicks’ surprising 108-105 overtime win in this Eastern Conference semifinal matchup.

The Celtics struggled, shooting just 15 out of 60 from beyond the arc. They blew a 20-point lead during the third quarter and managed to hit only three of eight in the fourth and overtime. Some shots were wide open but just didn’t fall, while others were forced attempts that went wildly off-target.

“We need to improve on that,” Jalen Brunson stated. “It’s crucial we limit their attempts and don’t give them open looks.”

At halftime, the Celtics were leading by 16 points, a margin that felt secure at that point.

Despite leading in free throw attempts in the first half, they only had a couple more opportunities in the last six minutes of the game.

In fact, while Boston was 15-12 from the arc in the second quarter, their third quarter saw a dramatic shift with only one non-three-point field goal made.

“We don’t want to force them into three-pointers,” Josh Hart emphasized. “They have excellent shooters. Our goal was to make it tough for them and play a more physical game. You really don’t want a team like this taking more threes.”

Interestingly, Boston led the league during the regular season with 48.2 three-point attempts per game. They even increased that to 31.2 in their first-round series against the Magic.

Insights from the Knicks’ Playoff Journey

“Some of those shots felt good,” commented Celtics wing Jaylen Brown. “But it seemed like we were forced into taking them.”

The Knicks faced challenges on the boards as they were out-rebounded in four out of six games in their prior series. This trend continued against the Celtics, where they fell short by ten rebounds. Boston collected 19 offensive rebounds that led to 24 second-chance points, with guard Jrue Holiday pulling down five of those crucial boards.