Celtics 116, Knicks 102: Diamonds in the rough
If this Knicks’ season is going to be special, it may well involve taking on the Celtics this spring. Here are a few takeaways from last night’s potential playoff prelude.
That one hurt. Word on the street is the Boston Celtics are still somewhere making 3-pointers.
The shorthanded New York Knicks took on the NBA’s best team in a nationally televised affair at Madison Square Garden. After fighting for a half, the Knicks ran out of steam as the Boston Celtics built a lead of over 20 points. When a team is missing three of its key rotation pieces, it’s tough to discern trends that could relate to the big picture. But zoom in closely enough and there were a few elements last night that could prove relevant should these teams meet again in the playoffs.
Let’s dive in.
Jalen Brunson is (almost) unstoppable
There is no team better equipped to slow down Jalen Brunson than the Celtics — especially in a game that saw the Knicks without both Julius Randle and OG Anunoby. The ball was in Brunson’s hands often and he didn’t have much help: the Celtics toggled their two dynamo guard defenders, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, between possessions so the primary defender on Brunson was always fresh.
It didn’t matter. Despite this and limited space to operate, Brunson got wherever he wanted. The Celtics had former Knick Kristaps Porziņģis waiting for him in the paint and Brunson jab-stepped his way into every shot in his bag. One pump fake caused Porziņģis to bite so hard he almost jumped out of his shoes. (Ed. note: this clip isn’t that, but still pretty sweet)
So why does this matter? For starters, the Celtics played Brunson fairly conservatively, at least early on, trusting their defense at the point-of-attack and their excellent defenders team-wide. When their starters are on the court, Jaylen Brown (88th percentile in dEPM this season) is arguably the team’s worst defender. That is almost unfair.
But Brunson dismantled this stout defense in the halfcourt to the point that late in the game Celtics’ coach Joe Mazzula decided to amp up the aggression against him in the pick-and-roll. The Knicks often sported lineups with at least two and sometimes three non-shooters, so this was an easy decision Mazzula could live with. But if Brunson forces this adjustment in a playoff matchup, this could create opportunities for Randle to feast. A huge part of playoff series is being able to take a punch and adjust. If the Celtics try to take Brunson out of a game, the Knicks should be well-equipped to exploit the ensuing advantages.
Forcing them out of their comfort zone
If you watched last night’s game you saw a visiting team that was unusually comfortable against a Tom Thibodeau defense. The Celtics were 31-of-46 (69%) from inside the arc and 15-of-35 (43%) from beyond. Make no mistake, the Celtics want to shoot as many threes as possible.
Thibodeau teams always aim to attack the opposition’s strength and take it away. The problem with this particular opponent is that weaknesses are tough to find. When they stick Holiday in the corner (where he leads the NBA in 3-point accuracy), there are no options for the defense to live with. But Thibodeau remains intent on guarding against any potential layup. The issue is that this plays into the Celtics’ hands and leaves your fate to the mercy of 3-point variance. Open 3-pointers.
Thibodeau is a defensive mastermind. He always has his guys ready to go and prepared for the specific opponent. I worry that this opponent is perfectly designed to capitalize on his biases. Will he be ready to adjust the scheme if the 3-pointers keep falling? Maybe play more switch-heavy to try to contain the perimeter? Sure, the Celtics might get a few more unguarded layups, but were the Knicks really stopping them inside the arc anyway? Again, Boston finished the game making 70% of their twos.
Thibodeau has a lot to be proud of from this one. The undermanned Knicks fought admirably until they ran out of gas. Josh Hart continues to look more and more like 2022-23 Josh Hart, seeming more confident shooting than he has in quite some time. Deuce McBride seems hellbent on making the most of every opportunity he’s given; after helping the Knicks survive in Philadelphia Thursday, McBride was spectacular again last night. Could he supplant the returning Alec Burks in the playoff rotation if the team is fully healthy?
All roads in the East are painted green. If the Knicks want this season to mean something special, it is likely they’ll have to go through Boston — which means if things go right, this won’t be the last time the Knicks face a potential barrage of 3-pointers. They’re built to battle against this Boston team. But to climb the mountaintop, it’s on the Knicks to force the Celtics away from what they want to do, in a way that mirrors Boston’s intent to get the ball out of Brunson’s hands.
The rest of the season may as well be seen as one giant rehearsal for the postseason. Next practice is Monday against the Pistons and the returning Quentin Grimes. Let’s see how they bounce back.
