Joe Mazzulla described what the Boston Celtics changed in a 115-93 defeat to the New York Knicks in Game 3 of the second round series.
After dropping 0-2, the Boston Celtics needed a big response in their match at Madison Square Garden.
They shot poorly from the 3-point range of games 1 and 2 of the series, going over the arc to 25-100, but that changed in Game 3 as Joe Mazra men shot 20-40 to win.
Jason Tatum played brilliantly in Game 3 as he gained ownership of the loss in the first two games of the series, scoring 22 points and contributing nine rebounds and seven assists.
Payton Pritchard led the Celtics’ scoring from the bench as he contributed with 23 points.
After the game, Mazra revealed that the team did differently in Game 3.
Analysts have denounced the Celtics for their reliance on three-pointers after losing in the first two games.
But in reality, the team was just taking a break and not in Game 3, so they punished the New York Knicks with their open looks.
When asked if three falls would help the team win, Mazzulla said:
“We cannot stress the importance of not throwing the ball to other teams.
The Celtics only had 11 turnovers in Game 3. This was the fewest turnover in the series against the Knicks, and only allowed 14 points from there.
“We haven’t had a quarter, and if we have 20 and 12 with 58 seconds left, we have a final quarter.
“That’s all we’ve talked about in the last 72 hours, but that’s the most important thing,” he added.
The Celtics have been heavily criticized by the media after losing the first two games of the series.
Despite leading a considerable amount of time in the series, the Celtics lost the game after giving up a massive lead, including a 20-point advantage in Game 2.
But then Mazra said the final 72 hours weren’t difficult for the team.
He said:
“We will catch up when your expectations are not met. There is no expectations here. We are on the path to chasing greatness. We cannot direct the test that is right in front of you.
“We have been planning this for a long time and believe it will be much worse than the last 72 hours. That’s the perspective you have to do, and at the end of the day we’ll be tested right in front of us and some people can’t go through it with someone else.
“This is the fun part. You won’t be on a journey to make it easier. It’s getting dark, but in a good way.”
From here, the Celtics were able to turn on the switch and spin the series and take another trip to the conference final.
They look very positive and hope to continue their strong performances for the rest of the postseason.