5 things to watch for in Game 3 between Celtics-Knicks

The Boston Celtics lost the first two games at home in the Eastern Conference Semifinals series with the New York Knicks. For the first time since 2023's Eastern Conference Finals with the Miami Heat, they found themselves trailing 0-2 in a playoff series. Now, the series transitions to New York where the Celtics will battle for their season lives, and try to turn the tides of this, so far, abysmal round.

With their backs against the wall, there is a lot that will need to change in Game 3 if the Celtics hope to advance in the banner aspirations. So, here are five things to watch out for in Celtics-Knicks Game 3:

The Celtics seemingly adjusted the strategy from three - but only slightly - in Game 2. Unlike Game 1 they only attempted 40 from deep on Wednesday, which is a staunch difference from the 60 they shot on Monday. However their 3-point percentage remained the exact same (25 percent) as they only could get 10 to fall. The Celtics are now 25-of-100 from deep on the series.

So, now the conversation around the 3-pointer changes a little bit. To be clear, the conversation is still about taking fewer threes, because they aren't falling, but now it can evolve a little bit. Although they attempted fewer threes overall, they never seemed to switch away from them strategically, despite their struggles (e.g. they attempted 11 in the fourth quarter). So, yes they took fewer, but they never made a decision to abandon the shot, which may be what they need at this point.

Game 3 is essentially a must win - Game 2 may have been as well, and they lost - so they have to make a change, and it starts from deep. When the shots do not fall again on Saturday, there has to be a conscious decision to get better looks. The three also helped them blow a twenty-point-lead. Why not discuss that a little bit further next?

Well, the conversation over the last week has been about blown leads. The Celtics set a scornful new NBA record by becoming the first team in league history to concede multiple 20-plus-point leads in a single postseason, according to Dick Lipe of NBC Sports Boston. Even worse, the Celtics did it in consecutive games, and they possessed said leads late in third quarters.

Obviously, that is a recipe for disaster. If the Celtics have any hope of coming back in this series, they must play the full 48 minutes, rather than getting a lead and coasting.

“You just take a look at it, figure out where you have to be better and put a full 48 minutes together,” said Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla after the loss, via Jake Seymour of 98.5 The Sports Hub. “So have an understanding that it's going to be difficult, that's why we do what we do.”

Now, there are a few different reasons why they couldn't close the door, but at the end of the day, the prevailing factor is, again, the three.

The Celtics became somewhat complacent with their leads in both Game 1 and 2. Instead of looking to drive to the rim or create points from inside the arc, often the C's would pull up from deep. Which one could say, "Who cares? You're up 20." But it was to their detriment because the Knicks expected and easily defended the deep ball. In turn, New York turned defense into offense, contributing to their runs, and 20 points wasn't enough.

In Game 3, avoiding complacency is first and foremost. The Celtics have to look to create a larger buffer - perhaps a 30-or-40-point lead - if they want to just chuck up threes and hope. Or, they could utilize more diversity in their offensive drives (i.e. shooting from mid-range, driving to the rim, trying to draw a foul), so they aren't as predictable.

In line with the section above, panic naturally ensues when a team sees their 20-point lead diminish to a deficit - especially when it happens twice. The Celtics clearly felt the pressure in crunch time, causing them to play desperate (not the good kind) and almost erratic at times - take the final play of Game 2 as exhibit A.

The Celtics have to realize that they are supposed to be the better team in this series. Rather than freaking out when the Knicks go on scoring runs, take it as it comes and make adjustments, not shoot the doors off or play "hero ball."

However, in the Celtics benefit, the venue change may actually help the Celtics settle in.

In the regular season, Boston was excellent when playing on the road. In fact, they played better in hostile environments than they did at TD Garden. Their 33-8 road record is tied for the third-best in NBA history and second most in road wins, according to StatMuse. So, they are clearly confident playing in the oppositions building.

Also, they likely felt the pressure at the Garden as their leads slipped, adding to the panic. In New York, they won't have that type of external influence and may be able to better focus on the objective at hand.

The proverbial knives have been out all week for Joe Mazzulla due to the way he's managed the series to this point. He received a lot of criticism for his handling of the late stages of Game 2, in particular.

His inability (or reluctance) to adjust the offensive strategies has been somewhat exposed. He was out-foxed by Tom Thibodeau when Mazzulla made an unorthodox call to repeatedly foul Mitchell Robinson, putting the Knicks in the bonus, and Robinson was subsequently subbed out. And, the most damning decision was when he chose not to call a timeout before the final play. Instead, the Celtics ran the exact same Jayson Tatum 'do it myself' play they had succeeded on just the drive prior; turns out the Knicks were prepared for it.

So, for the first time in a while coaching has become a factor for the Celtics. Unfortunately, it seems some of Mazzulla's flaws have been highlighted. If the trend continues in Game 3 and onward, coaching will be important down the stretch. The onus will be on Mazzulla to scheme his teams to victory, and the pressure is on him to prove he can.

Switching focus to the Knicks, Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges have gotten the job done. They've also gotten help from Karl-Anthony Towns.

Brunson, as expected, has taken over the series for New York putting up 46 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds through two games. He's also shot a respectable 7-for-18 (38.89 percent) from three, and has come up in the clutch in late game situations in both Game 1 and 2. It's a simple statement, but limiting his production, particularly in crunch time, will be imperative for the Celtics.

For Anunoby, he was arguably just as important as Brunson in Game 1, registering 29 points. However, he was less impactful in Game 2, with only five points, but he was strong on the defensive end contributing four steals.

Finally, the most unexpected difference maker of the series, Bridges, has defensively tormented Boston. Playing nearly 94 minutes through the first two contests, the NBA's iron man leads the series in playing time by a notable margin. His contribution hasn't been on the scoresheet - just 26 combined points - he's made himself known by limiting the Celtics - most notably, his ability to stun the C's in the offensive zone on the final plays of both Games 1 and 2.

The expectation can be much of the same from these guys in Game 3.

In the end, going down 0-2 has clearly made the path to the Eastern Conference Finals much tougher the Celtics. Frankly, in the first two contests too many things went wrong for the Green.

However, if they can find a way to make some adjustments, stop relying on threes, and play with some urgency (not panic), they could very easily square this series up. All that being said, they head into New York facing a must win situation for the first time in two years. Of course, they can come back, but a lot needs to change and they will need to get the job done in Game 3 on Saturday afternoon.

The Celtics and the Knicks continue the Eastern Conference Semifinals with Game 3 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, May 10, at 3:30 p.m. ET. 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.