Boston Celtics lament over 'unjustifiable' defeat as New York Knicks stage another come-from-behind victory from a 20-point disadvantage.
In the heart of Boston, champions aren't quite finding their stride. The Celtics, having stomped their way to the Eastern Conference semifinals, now find themselves down 0-2, scratching their heads against the formidable Knicks. It's a tale of two games, each seemingly solid leads—somehow, yet nowhere near victories.
Jaylen Brown, the Celtics' star, finds the situation a bitter pill to swallow. "How two games we're up 20 points just plain vanishes like smoke—it's inexcusable," he grumbled, just days after admitting, "Losing stinks."
New York, not pulling ahead until the closing four minutes of Game 2, has managed to net only 12 lead minutes across the series, yet they're the ones painting the series picture.
"They made every play," acknowledged Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics' coach, after his squad failed to capitalize on offensive opportunities and coughed up the ball in the clutch. "We gen up some good looks, fumbled a few times, and they seized their moment."
Boston's final frame in Game 2 was a one-way train wreck, with the team missing 14 out of 15 shots and being outscored 23-6 in the game's final eight minutes. "We placed ourselves in a commanding position, but simply couldn't close the deal," Mazzulla lamented.
The Knicks have shown a knack for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, and the Celtics know it. Kristaps Porzingis, ex-Knick, voiced the team's frustrations, "Sloppy execution here and there, a few missed shots there, and before you know, it all adds up to this."
Brown, aware of his part in the team's struggles, admitted to missing the mark when the pressure was the highest, hitting 20 points but only 1-of-7 in the second half. "A smorgasbord of things we can control," Jaylen summed up postgame, "we played faster than required and got a bit antsy."
The Celtics may be champions, but they're certainly counted amongst the bewildered, spiraling down a path they can't seem to trace. As Game 3 unfolds, the truly tough ball—figuring it out—awaits them.
- Despite being champions, the Celtics are struggling to find their form in the NBA, as they currently trail the Knicks 0-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
- Jaylen Brown, the Celtics' star player, finds the team's current predicament hard to swallow, remarking that their 20-point leads have vanished like smoke in the last two games.
- The Knicks have shown a knack for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, with Kristaps Porzingis, a former Knick, voicing the team's frustrations, stating that sloppy execution and a few missed shots add up to their current predicament.
- In Game 2, Boston's final frame was a one-way train wreck, with the team missing 14 out of 15 shots and being outscored 23-6 in the game's final eight minutes.
- Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics' coach, acknowledged that the Knicks made every play and that his team collected a few turnovers in crucial moments, which the Knicks capitalized on.
