Offensive ineptitude plagues Celtics in Game 1 against Knicks

BOSTON — With three seconds left in overtime and down by three, the Celtics inbounded the ball to Jaylen Brown for a quick catch-and-shoot 3-pointer. A make would have sent the defending NBA champions to a second overtime period in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

As a reported sold-out crowd at TD Garden watched Brown grab the ball, a 6-foot-6 Mikal Bridges quickly swarmed Brown near the 3-point wing. Suddenly, Bridges had possession as the Knicks secured a 108-105 win over the Celtics, who trail 1-0 in the series.

Perhaps that singular play was symbolic of the entire game. The Celtics led by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, appearing to be en route to another 1-0 series lead before a 17-3 scoring run brought the Knicks within single digits, eventually stealing a game on the parquet floor.

What largely contributed to the Celtics’ collapse was their inability to make 3-point shots, making only 15 of their 60 shots from deep. Even after squandering their lead, they still had opportunities to leave with a win, but late-game execution was poor. The team failed to convert a go-ahead possession to end regulation and the aforementioned one to end the game.

So why did Boston’s offense completely shut down?

“I'm not sure,” Brown said. “I think we're going to take a look at the film tomorrow and see what kind of happened there.”

First-half execution worked for the Celtics, who led by 16 points at the break, in large part due to 26 paint points and a 16-of-20 mark at the free throw line. Missing five of their 23 3-pointers did not leave a blemish on the team’s first-half performance, especially with 16 second-chance points.

As if it forgot how it built its lead, Boston went away from the game plan that resulted in a 20-point advantage. After leading 75-55, the Celtics made only five of their 25 3-point attempts through the conclusion of regulation. Of their 20 shots taken in the third quarter, only one was a 2-pointer.

“In those moments when the other team has momentum, we can't just fire up threes,” Brown said. “To break up momentum, you’ve got to get to the free throw line, get to the paint, get to the basket, maybe get an easy two, hit some free throws, and then maybe the next 3-pointer feels a little bit better. I feel like we just settled in the second half a lot.”

Jayson Tatum and Brown’s production were severely stunted in the second half, as they combined for 14 points and a 3-of-18 mark from the field with a 2-for-14 clip on 3-pointers. Derrick White, who finished with 19 points, was the only Celtic to record double-digit point totals in the second half.

The Celtics, known for their high-volume 3-point shooting, couldn’t shake their slump throughout the contest. It only got worse as their number of 3-pointers attempted increased, culminating in a 2-of-15 mark in the fourth quarter.

“I look at the process and the shot quality,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “So our shot quality was high. The points in the paint were even. We shot one more layup than they did. We shot 10 non-paint twos. They shot much more than that. And so you have to take a look at the process of what we're trying to accomplish. We were able to accomplish good results for the most part, and like I said, there's probably 8-10 shots that we could be better at.”

Boston trails 1-0 in a playoff series for the first time since 2023, when it lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals — and eventually the series — to the Miami Heat. Boston went down 3-0 to Miami, nearly pulling off what would have been a historic series win had it prevailed in Game 7 at home after Tatum left with an ankle injury.

This situation against the Knicks certainly is not as dire as the conference finals in 2023, but for a team that hasn’t trailed in a playoff series in nearly two years, the Celtics must quickly regroup if they want their quest for their 19th banner to continue.

“You take a look at it and you learn what you can learn from it,” Brown said. “Obviously, we had a historic night of missed 3-pointers, etc. We'll take a look and kind of see what the energy was. But in reality, you've almost got to have a short-term memory. Throw it away, get ready for Game 2. We don't have time to let stuff carry over. So we make adjustments, and we come ready to play on our home floor.”