Post#1637 » by tsherkin » Tue May 6, 2025 2:42 pm
This is going to be an interesting series. Not a pretty performance from the Celtics. But they also kept New York 9 points worse than their RS average team ORTG, which is promising.
If they can keep that up, minding that Boston was the 5th-ranked D in the league, then they will be able to purchase the time they need to figure out their offense. OG isn't going to be 6/11 from 3 every game, nor is Brunson going to shoot 5/9 from 3 the whole series.
Obviously, they took way too many 3s. Tatum, Brown and White combined to shoot 10/41 from 3, which was brutal. Horford and Pritchard combined for 3/10 off the bench and Jrue was 2/7. Just... bombing it from 3. The team smashed the O boards but they just kept bricking from 3 and didn't pivot their strategy, which was obviously a mistake.
Game 2 will be very, very telling from Boston in terms of their approach, and performances from their main guys. Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday in the second quarter should have been the template, really. That was the best quarter for Boston all game, and they walked into half-time with a 16-point lead. Then they crapped themselves in the 3rd and were even worse somehow in the fourth. Especially Tatum, just chucking from 3.
New York shot quite poorly on the game as well, but Boston was just far worse. They posted what, 19% FG in the 4th?
Game 2 will probably look quite a bit different for both teams.