Celtics' Joe Mazzulla Explains What Went Wrong After Blowing 20-Point Lead to Knicks

The Celtics blew a 20 point lead to the Knicks in Game 1 on Monday.

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla watches from the sideline as they take on the New York Knicks during game one of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics appeared on their way to another dominant win during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Celtics led the New York Knicks by as much as 20 points in the third quarter, but the Knicks then began a furious comeback and won the game in overtime.

After Boston took that 20-point lead, the Knicks outscored them 56-33 to end up tying the game and force overtime. The Knicks nearly won the game in regulation, but Jalen Brunson missed a potentialgame-winning shot in the final seconds.

Following the loss, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla detailed several factors that allowed the Knicks to come back and then win.

“We left some of their good shooters open," Mazzulla told reporters after the loss. "... Saw some personnel stuff. They were able to get out in transition off of some of our misses. They had a 5-0 run off of offensive rebounds. Detail stuff that we have to be able to be better at. I thought we missed some good ones, and I thought there were a few we could fight to get better on.”

Joe Mazzulla on what changed after the #Celtics went up by 20:

“We left some of their good shooters open… They were able to get out in transition off of our misses. They had a 5-0 run off of offensive rebounds. Detail stuff that we need to be better at.” https://t.co/UKT4ZIrhMV pic.twitter.com/tcxv6TCx5R

— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) May 6, 2025

The Celtics' loss also came due to a historically bad three-point shooting night from Boston. The Celtics went 15-60 on three-pointers, setting an NBA playoff record with 45 misses in one game. This was particularly costly during the third quarter when Boston only attempted one two-point shot, thus helping the Knicks come back.

Mazzulla did defend the team's heavy three-point shot selection after the game, noting that the team often found good looks. The Celtics simply didn't execute, and only shot 25% from the three-point range.

Boston will have the opportunity to rebound from the loss when the series resumes on Wednesday.

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