5 things to watch for in Celtics-Knicks Game 2

The Boston Celtics shot their way out of Game 1 via the 3-pointer. They now find themselves trailing the New York Knicks 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, as they again take the floor at TD Garden for Game 2 on Wednesday night.

Obviously, the 3-point-shot was a problem for the Celtics in Game 1. The Knicks saw a large contribution from their star, but the Celtics' stars failed to produce at the same level. Plus, the impact of the supporting cast, turnovers, and health all played a role, and may be influential in Game 2.

Here are five things to watch out for in Celtics-Knicks Game 2:

Although the Celtics averaged just 31.2 3-point-shots per game through the first five games of the playoffs against the Magic, that all went out the window in Game 1 against the Knicks. The C's shot the 3-pointer at an abysmal 25 percent (15-for-60). Obviously, a disappointing result for their return to the abundant three philosophy. Jaylen Brown looked particularly off in Game 1, shooting just 1-for-10. He and Jayson Tatum combined were just 5-for-25 (20 percent), so clearly, the three was not the C's friend.

Obviously, shooting 25 percent from three will not be sustainable going forward for the Celtics. The solution in Game 2 could be to avoid attempting an exorbitant amount from deep like they did on Monday night. Rather, the Celtics may be better trying to get to the rim and play more hard-nosed basketball like they did in the opening series against the Magic. Now of course, the scouting report for the Magic was that they have excellent perimeter defense - that's not the case with the Knicks - but the Celtics made the conscious decision to adjust. So using the same logic, when the C's can't hit the three, they need to make the conscious decision to adjust and shoot less.

Conversely, the Knicks were more conservative from deep only attempting 37 from three - which mind you is more than their season and playoff average. Yet, they hit their threes 45.9 percent of their threes (17). Now, does that point to recklessness by the Celtics from deep? It is very possible, considering their opponent took nearly half the threes as they did, but hit five more because rather than just chucking it up panicked from deep, they used some strategy.

It's unrealistic to expect the Celtics will completely stray away from the deep ball; it's just not who they are. However, they need to make a change, it is equally outrageous for the Celtics to expect their ability to hit threes miraculously return in Game 2. Finding balance will be important for this team going forward. They did a good job at adjusting versus the Magic, so what's stopping them from making another change?

Game 1 went to the Knicks, but also the internal competition between the stars of either side went to the Knicks' guys as well.

Jalen Brunson turned continued his strong playoff performance on Monday night, putting up 29 points, and shooting 5-for-9 (55.6 percent) from three, in 43 minutes of play. For the Celtics, Tatum was not nearly as impactful. Sure, the Celtics star was tied for the most points on his team, but with only 23 to his name, it's certainly not a feat worth writing home about. Like the rest of his team, Tatum also shot the three poorly - finishing just 4-for-15 (26.7 percent) - simply an underwhelming performance in a meaningful game.

So, this 'battle of stars' will continue to be a topic of conversation in Game 2 - and probably the whole series. The Celtics want to avoid going to New York trailing 2-0 - which would be the first time the Celtics lose two-or-more games in a series since 2023's Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks, of course, want just the opposite. If they can shock the world and upset Boston at home twice, they can shift the tides of the entire series heading to Madison Square Garden.

Regardless, both Brunson and Tatum are going to be a major reason why their team wins Game 2. The Celtics need Tatum to step up in Game 2, and the Knicks simply need Brunson to continue his strong play. So, keep a close eye on those two on Wednesday night.

To upset the Celtics in Game 1, the Knicks needed more than just a strong game from Brunson. OG Anunoby also gave them a necessary offensive boost. With 29 points, Anunoby provided the secondary scoring that the Knicks would inevitably need to mount their 20-point third quarter comeback and take some pressure off Brunson.

The question is: Will that be sustainable? Anunoby is a strong player, but he only averaged 18 points on the season. He also shot the three at 54.5 percent in Game 1, which is staunchly different than his 37.2 percent season average. So, it's fair to wonder if he can recreate his Game 1 performance going forward.

The Celtics may be in trouble if he is a major factor again in Game 2, but that's not guaranteed. Watch out for how Anunoby looks on Wednesday night, and if the Celtics end up adjusting their defense against him to limit another strong game.

When looking at the box score from Game 1, one will notice that each team gave up a similar amount of turnovers (Celtics 14, Knicks 13). However, the turnovers that the Celtics conceded were significantly more consequential than those of the Knicks - particularly the two that Jaylen Brown gave up in overtime, most notably the one (pictured above) that ended the game.

Combined with the 12 offensive rebounds the Knicks got, turnovers contributed to free points for New York. In Game 2, an emphasis must be put on holding on to the ball, and not losing possessions left-and-right.

Kristaps Porziņģis exited the game after just 12 minutes on the court with an illness. His impact at the center position will be important for Boston, as their alternative (Al Horford) is good in small sample sizes considering his age. Luckily, the Celtics released their injury report ahead of Game 2, and Porziņģis is listed as "PROBABLE," leading to the belief that he will play.

The other injury question mark for Boston is Sam Hauser, who in or out of the game will not have a huge impact, but is one less body nonetheless. In Game 1, Hauser played just 3:58 minutes and registered zero points.

So, there are plenty of factors that could carry over from Game 1 on Wednesday night. The one that could be the most influential will be the three, as that was the largest contributor to the loss for Boston. However, beyond just the threes, the Celtics will need their stars to show out in Game 2. At the same time they must limit Brunson and Anunoby.

It's hard to ever call the second game of a seven-game series a 'must win', but the Celtics need this one. Although they still have plenty of time to come back, if they lose again, heading to New York down 2-0 is a receipt for disaster and will call for panic from fans who hope a repeat is still in store for the Green.

The Celtics and the Knicks continue the Eastern Conference Semifinals with Game 2 at TD Garden on Wednesday, May 7, at 7 p.m. Be sure to tune into 98.5 The Sports Hub for the broadcast of the game.

Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.