The Celtics entered their series against the Knicks with all the momentum, thanks in large part to their all-in approach to three-point shooting.
But that strategy backfired big time in Game 1. Boston missed 45 threes in a 108-105 overtime loss, setting a playoff record with 60 attempts from deep.
Up by 20 in the second half, the Celtics looked poised for another win over the Knicks. Then the shots stopped falling. Boston missed its next 10 attempts—every one a three-pointer.
“Some of them felt good, some felt like we were kind of forcing it,” said Jaylen Brown, who went 1-for-10 from three. “Our rhythm and timing were definitely off. We got a lot of great looks, but maybe there’s some truth to [overdoing it] today.”
According to ESPN Research, the Celtics had 45 uncontested threes but missed 32. Even with open looks, the volume raised questions.
“Obviously in hindsight, if we could go back, we’d probably drive the ball a little bit more,” said Jayson Tatum, who went 4-for-15 from deep. “You can always look back and see what you should have done differently.”
Late in the game, the Celtics created favorable matchups for Tatum, but he settled for long jumpers instead of attacking the rim—giving the Knicks a break.
After halftime, Boston went just 9-for-34 from beyond the arc. The Knicks, who had previously allowed 84 threes in four regular-season losses to the Celtics, actually hit two more threes (17) on 23 fewer attempts.
“I look at the process and the shot quality—our shot quality was high,” said head coach Joe Mazzulla, who usually encourages his team to shoot as many threes as possible. “There were probably eight to ten shots that could be better for sure.”
