New York Knicks lose to the Boston Celtics 115-93, now up 2-1 in ECSF: Old habits prove costly

The New York Knicks were blown out by the Boston Celtics 115-93, leaving New York’s series lead down to 2-1. The Knicks’ offense never woke up and their defense fell back into old patterns.

The Knicks trailed by 16 after the first quarter, and Boston never gave them a chance to recover. But the alarming part is New York’s defense getting away from everything that gave them a series lead. 

The Knicks held the Celtics to historic levels of missed three-pointers with frequent switching or having big men step up to the level of screens. Boston shot 12 of 19 in the first half, and Tom Thibodeau failed to adjust. So, Boston went 11 of 21 in the second half.

To make matters worse, New York’s offense was soulless. They passed poorly, missed shots at the rims, and failed to convert open jumpers. It looked like complacency.

Let’s get into the disappointing performance to dig out some good and acknowledge the bad.