The Boston Celtics had yet another embarrassing meltdown against the New York Knicks in Game 2. This is the second time in two games that the Celtics have boasted a 20-point lead and managed to let the Knicks rally back.
Both games were eerily similar with the Celtics having poor shooting numbers and the Knicks storming back in the same way.
But what specifically led to the Knicks clawing back into the game? Let's find out.
The Celtics stopped fighting for great shots
Early in the game, the Celtics were passing up on good looks from three in favor of fighting for great looks in the paint. Star forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were collapsing the Knicks' defense, leading to either layups or wide-open 3-point attempts for sharpshooters Derrick White and Payton Pritchard.
This early approach kept the opposing defenders on their toes while allowing the Celtics to continue scoring despite their abysmal performance from beyond the arc.
In the second half, they moved away from their first-half strategy. The Celtics stopped fighting to the rim in the second half and started settling for more jump shots.
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Their performance from 3-point range so far this series has set a record for most misses from beyond the arc in a two-game span in NBA playoff history.
The defensive game plan for Jalen Brunson needs to change
While Jalen Brunson has been quiet early in games, he has picked apart the Celtics' defense in the fourth quarter, scoring at will.
The Celtics have tried switching or defending him straight up with Jrue Holiday with a soft double team, using whoever is defending Josh Hart on that possession. This has failed to produce significant results for them as Brunson is still scoring, and Josh Hart has scored 37 points in the series.
Karl-Anthony Towns has also created matchup problems surrounding Brunson. The Knicks have run a high pick 'n' roll with Towns and Brunson late in both games, and it has been extremely effective.
The Celtics have guarded this action by either switching, leaving a slower defender on Brunson and a smaller defender on Towns, or by fighting over the screen, giving Brunson and Towns a two-on-one drive to the rim.
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla needs to find a solution for this action, or the Knicks will continue to go to their favorite play down the stretch of every game this series.
Limiting fast-break points while creating some of their own will be key to winning against the Knicks
The Celtics have been outscored in transition in both games by a total of 28-21 despite the turnover differential being nearly even.
The Knicks have taken advantage of their opportunities in the full court to a much fuller extent than the Celtics, and the gap has been enough to swing both games.
Getting the job done in transition will help the Celtics maintain and grow any lead that they build.
Focusing on keeping control of the basketball and getting better looks can both reduce the number of fast-break opportunities given to the Knicks.
Shrinking the gap in transition scoring can keep the Celtics in charge of games and prevent the Knicks from sparking comebacks.
If the Celtics can fix these issues, they can come back in this series.