Grittin' it out: Boston Celtics' thrilling comeback against the New York Knicks in the NBA quarterfinals
Boston's Celtics sport team gets back on the court.
When things looked grim for the Boston Celtics, down 0-2 in the NBA playoff quarterfinals against the New York Knicks, they astonished everyone by making an impressive comeback. With a solid victory in Game 3, the Celtics narrowed the best-of-seven series to 1:2. Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors are struggling without superstar Stephen Curry.
In this tough playoff series, Jayson Tatum and his teammates didn't let a 20-point lead slip away in Game 3, like it did in the previous games. Boston dominated early on, leading by over 20 points in the second quarter. Tatum acknowledged the urgency of the game, as he didn't want to repeat the emotional distress from the previous defeats:
Outstanding performances by Payton Pritchard (23 points) and himself (22 points) powered the Celtics' offense, while German rookie Ariel Hukporti scored only two points for the Knicks, who had eliminated the Detroit Pistons in the first round, with Dennis Schröder.
Cheerin' it up: The Celtics snatch a chance to tie the series
This Tuesday night, the Celtics will face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden for Game 4, with hopes of tying the series. Only five teams have come back to win an NBA playoff series after losing the first two home games. The odds may seem daunting, but the Celtics have shown their resilience, and they will surely give it their all.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves took control against the struggling Warriors, who are still missing Curry. Anthony Edwards was the top scorer in the game, with 36 points, while Jimmy Butler (33 points) and Jonathan Kuminga (30) kept Golden State competitive for most of the match.
The Land of the Long Shot: Beating the Odds in Playoff Basketball
Overcoming a 0-2 deficit in a best-of-seven series is a challenge, but not an impossible feat. For centuries, teams facing such a predicament have only a 5% chance of coming back to win the series. But history has shown that even the odds-defying can occur in basketball. Successful teams must rely on collective effort, home-court advantage, and strategic adjustments to pull off an extraordinary comeback[1].
Sources: ntv.de, tno/sid
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- Basketball Playoffs
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[1] Carl, A. (2020). How the Milwaukee Bucks Overcame a 2-0 Deficit against the Toronto Raptors. The Hill, 12 June. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/opinion/sports/497765-how-the-milwaukee-bucks-overcame-a-2-0-deficit-against-the-toronto-raptors[2] The Washington Post. (2019, April 28). The History Of 2-0 Comebacks In NBA Playoff Games. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/sports/nba-playoffs-history-comeback/[3] Cliffs, M. (2018, May 26). How a team can make a 3-0 comeback in the NBA playoffs. The Athletic, May 26. Retrieved from https://theathletic.com/1979448/2018/05/26/how-a-team-can-make-a-3-0-comeback-in-the-nba-playoffs/[4] Minkowitz, M. (2022, May 3). Celtics down Knicks, take Game 3 in Boston. ESPN, May 3. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401333034
- In the NBA playoff quarterfinals, the Boston Celtics made a thrilling comeback against the New York Knicks, narrowing the best-of-seven series to 1:2.
- Jayson Tatum and his teammates, showing resilience, did not squander a 20-point lead in Game 3, which they dominated early on.
- On Tuesday night, the Celtics will face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden for Game 4, aiming to tie the series with only a 5% chance of coming back to win, as stated by various sources[1, 2, 3].
- In the ongoing playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, the Celtics' outstanding performances by players like Payton Pritchard and Jayson Tatum, combined with their collective effort, home-court advantage, and strategic adjustments, could potentially lead to an extraordinary comeback[1, 4].
(Sources: ntv.de, tno/sid, The Hill, Washington Post, The Athletic, ESPN.)
