The Celtics won the NBA Championship thanks to an elite three-point shooting, but set a terrible playoff record against the Knicks in a Game 1 loss.
This series between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks was highly anticipated. And Game 1 did not disappoint, offering overtime and a big comeback victory.
The Knicks made a 20-point comeback, bringing NBA fans to awe. But it wasn’t just their talent and tenacity that made it happen. They got some help from Boston.
The Celtics led the second quarter, scoring 35 points and 20 points. It seemed like the game could end in the first half, but something unthinkable happened.
Paul Pierce recently argued that what sets the Celtics apart is their ability to enhance strength. But their most specific advantage is their three-point shooting. And that’s the cost of teams in Game 1.
The Celtics’ starting five are all devastating as they are excellent three-pointers. Their efficiency has made them blow up their teams regularly over the past few seasons.
However, the three are whimsical weapons and show nothing better than game one of the series’s most popular. Boston attempted an incredible 60 3-pointer during the game.
In itself, it is a playoff record. But the scary stats are how much they missed. The Celtics did something their teams don’t have in NBA playoff history, as they missed 45 3-pointers.
To put that into perspective, the Knicks missed eight three-pointers in Game 1, more than the Knicks tried.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White combined to take 41 absurd 3-pointers. They made just nine. This is a drug that Celtics fans find difficult to swallow.
Filming is an inherently unstable skill, and three-point shooting is even easier to disperse. It’s all about playing averages, as the Celtics and Joe Mazzola know well.
This isn’t too ridiculous for them as Boston averaged 48.2 attempts from 3-point range per game during the regular season. The team also won 61 games.
With a poor shooting of 25% from the range of this game, it’s not surprising that the Celtics were able to pour over 20 3-pointers in Game 2 and beyond in the series.
The Knicks seem to mean business, but Boston is the deepest team and incumbent champion in the league. The series has just begun.