In our only remotely high stakes Game 2 contest of the night, the Boston Celtics took on the New York Knicks. Failed opportunities and defensive lapses stymied their success all game long. The massive game was held at Madison Square Garden, where each team attempted to seize momentum in the playoff best-of-seven series. Even with a solid outing from many players, the Celtics failed to take advantage of key plays, resulting in an unfortunate loss.
In the final minutes of the game, Jaylen Brown missed both of his free throw attempts, not getting the Celtics the points they needed. Their shooting woes at the charity stripe were symptomatic of a much larger problem throughout the contest. The fact that they regularly kept high scoring chances from escaping their grasp. His shooting woes perpetuated when he missed a 10-foot two-point shot that would have brought them even closer.
Defensively, Karl-Anthony Towns held it down for the knicks. He improvised enough to block Derrick White’s driving layup attempt as he flew through the air and displayed his amazing reflexes. In addition to being a brilliant defensive play, this one moved the momentum solidly in New York’s direction. Towns struggled with his own shooting, missing a long-range 47-foot three-point jumper, but his contributions on defense were critical.
While the Bucks couldn’t make the most out of their opportunities, the Knicks took full advantage with Jalen Brunson spearheading the effort. Watching Brunson feed OG Anunoby for a ridiculous 1-foot dunk, bringing the crowd to their feet and extending their lead. He flashed an impressive scoring arsenal, including this step-back three-pointer from 23 feet out. Bridges facilitated for him, extending the Knicks’ lead even further.
Knicks’ Josh Hart scored Knicks’ first 5, including a 1-foot layup off an assist from Towns. This was further evidence of the team’s ability to score in the paint. By sharp contrast, the Celtics couldn’t do anything in that regard.
Jrue Holiday got Boston’s party started with a driving layup. That still didn’t account for everything that was needed to get the win for the game. The Celtics faced an even bigger obstacle when Sam Hauser was announced OUT with injury. This tragedy limited their ability to navigate the bench on a fellowship. The Knicks were clearly the better matchup with a fully healthy lineup and zero players on the injury report.
As the game unfolded, it was apparent that Boston just could not finish the big plays. Their lack of success at the foul line would prove to be their undoing. A few bad shots taken here and primary ball handler gets shut off there added up to a very tough performance against a passionate Knicks team.
Leave a Reply