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The Boston Celtics entered Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup against the New York Knicks with their backs against the wall. While they entered the series as the presumptive favorites, Boston blew 20-point leads in consecutive games to open the series.
As the series shifted to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, the Celtics were in somewhat of a must-win position as no team in NBA history has come back to win a postseason series after falling into a 3-0 hole. They responded to the task with an emphatic 115-93 victory.
Following the game, Jaylen Brown sent a message to the league, expressing confidence despite finding themselves down in the series.
"You got to beat us four times. I mean, that's what it comes down to. Not twice. Not once. Not three. You got to win four games. So, it's a lot of basketball to be played."
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Despite the Celtics' big win on the road, Brown continued to struggle with his shot in Game 3. He finished with 19 points, six rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block while shooting 7-18 from the field, 2-6 from three-point range and 3-4 from the free-throw line.
The 2023-24 NBA Finals MVP played poorly over the first two games of the series, as well. He entered Saturday's matchup averaging 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game on 34.9/17.6/71.4 shooting splits. Boston will look to even the series up and reclaim home-court advantage when the teams meet in Game 4 on Monday.
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