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9 hours ago
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It’s not the start the Boston Celtics wanted in their Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the New York Knicks. They would have wanted to put their home court advantage to good use by winning the first two games at TD Garden.
While they were on their way to win both games, the Knicks had other plans. The third seed overhauled 20-point deficits to claim the first two games before the series heads to Madison Square Garden. What’s painful is that New York pulled off the comebacks despite time not being on their side.
In Game 1, the Celtics led by 20, 75-55, after Derrick White converted a three-pointer with 5:47 left in the third quarter. Two days later, Boston had another 20-point lead (73-53) after Kristaps Porzingis drained a three-pointer with 3:12 left in the third.
Those monumental collapses have the Celtics faithful concerned about the team’s chances to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, especially with the Knicks having a 27-14 record at home.
However, while the defending NBA champions are in a hole, they can still bounce back and win the series. After all, as the CelticsGlobe account on X/Twitter pointed out, Boston held the lead for over 81 game minutes in both games. Conversely, the Knicks held the lead for only 12 minutes.
https://x.com/PlayoffCeltics/status/1920320117159723131
When it comes to closing games on the road, the Celtics are the league’s best after compiling a 33-8 regular-season away record. They also won one game at the Orlando Magic’s home floor during their first-round series.
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Likewise, the Celtics lost by a total of four points despite their fourth-quarter collapses and struggles from the three-point line. Rediscovering their championship mentality can bring them back in this fight.
Game 3 between the Celtics and the Knicks will be on Saturday, May 10. It’s a must-win for the Celtics because no NBA team has won a playoff series after going down 0-3.
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