Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Knicks: Is it Time for a Priority Shift?
Sunday night's 131-129 loss to the Knicks carries more weight than a singular defeat.
The Celtics emptied the tank, going to double overtime, only to come up short. Marcus Smart, dealing with a lower-body injury, went down multiple times, had moments where he moved rather stiffly, working his way up and down the floor, and he played only 5:09 in the second quarter.
Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 40 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out six assists, matching Al Horford for the most on the team. He also attempted a career-high 17 threes, making six (35.3 percent), produced 12 points in the paint, and went 10/12 at the free-throw line.
The four-time All-Star went to the locker room twice, including before the start of double overtime. But after the game, Joe Mazzulla said both were bathroom breaks. However, Tatum had his knee examined by Boston's training staff during the third frame.
The Celtics are already without Robert Williams, dealing with a left hamstring strain expected to sideline him for 7-10 days. Malcolm Brogdon's missed the last two with right ankle soreness, and they play the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Monday night.
With the Bucks beating the Wizards Sunday, extending their lead over Boston to 1.5 games, perhaps it's best for a worn-down Celtics squad to shift priorities to trying to get as healthy as possible for the playoffs.
There's plenty of time to address that later, but first, it's time to examine what stood out in each quarter of Boston's double-overtime defeat against New York, who won each of their last three matchups to claim the season series.
Pace Plus Effective and On and Off-Ball Movement Lead to 34-Point First Quarter for the Celtics
Every shot the Celtics took in the first frame was at the rim or beyond the arc. From a value standpoint, one can't ask for anything better.
There were some missed layups along the way, including Al Horford driving from the left wing, met by no resistance as he got to the cup, only to see his shot bounce out. But between consistently operating up-tempo and effective on and off-ball activity, Boston produced 34 points in the initial 12 minutes.
Repeatedly generating quality looks led to manufacturing 12 points in the paint and taking advantage of defenders being out of position, converting six offensive rebounds into 11 second-chance points.
Playing with pace also produced eight fast-break points, a cause aided by flipping four Knicks giveaways into seven points off turnovers.
And with so many of the Celtics' shots occurring at the rim, they earned seven free throws, capitalizing on each.
Jayson Tatum, who played the entire period, led the way with 16 points, including six at the free-throw line.
Derrick White contributed eight points and five rebounds, and Jaylen Brown scored seven.
At the other end, Boston surrendered 31 points, though.
New York shot 48 percent from the field, including 5/13 (38.5 percent) from beyond the arc.
RJ Barrett registered a team-high 14 points, and Julius Randle chipped in ten.
Derrick White the Driving Force Behind Late Run Propelling Boston to Halftime Lead
Animosity increased in a more physical second quarter, where the officials let a lot go.
Joe Mazzulla seemed willing to get a technical after the lack of a foul call on a Marcus Smart drive to the rim, running down, clapping, and yelling at the baseline referee. Smart's holding onto the ball in frustration and continuing to vent resulted in a delay of game violation.
Boston's inability to take care of the rock was its greatest issue in the frame. The hosts saw six turnovers translate to ten points for their guests by the 4:30 mark. They committed eight in the period, resulting in 14 points for New York.
The Knicks didn't fare much better in that category, as the Celtics converted six giveaways into 11 points.
An individual who made a significant impact for Boston was White, especially in the final two minutes. He tipped an offensive rebound to Brown for a layup and threw down a fast-break dunk while getting fouled by Randle.
He completed the old-school three-point play, putting the hosts ahead 58-54 in the final minute. White was at the center of the Celtics' 11-0 run to end the first half, taking a 61-54 advantage into the break.
The lead would've been larger if Boston didn't go 5/9 in the restricted area in the second frame. They went 11/20 from there in the first 24 minutes and were 12/23 in the paint.
The hosts, already down Robert Williams, dealing with a left hamstring strain that Mazzulla said is expected to sideline him 7-10 days, saw another starter in Smart play only 5:09 in the second period.
Smart appeared to suffer a lower-body injury after taking a hard fall following the contest of a Randle layup.
Tatum led all participants with 19 points at halftime but only scored three in the second quarter. Brown registered 17, and White had 12.
Barrett produced 16 points, a team-high, for the Knicks, Randle scored 14, and Immanuel Quickley had 11.
Immanuel Quickley Fuels the Knicks in the Third Quarter
Just over three minutes into the second half, after Smart invaded Randle's airspace, leading to the latter knocking him over and an offensive foul, as Randle voiced his displeasure with the call, he bumped the official, resulting in a technical.
During the stop in play, the Celtics' training staff and Jayson Tatum's personal trainer came out to check on his knee. But after getting it looked at, stretching, and having ointment applied, the four-time All-Star stayed in the game and drained the free throw following Randle's technical.
While on the subject of health updates, Smart's ailment continued bothering him in the third frame. He stiffly worked his way up and down the court, then spent a possession camped out in the right corner shortly before getting subbed out of the game.
As far as the play on the court, the Knicks were decisively better in the third frame. They outscored Boston 34-26 in the period. That had a lot to do with two runs, fueled by empty possessions from the hosts, in the final four minutes of the quarter.
New York put 15 points on the board to the Celtics' five in that stretch. While the Knicks went 6/8 from the field in that span, Boston shot 1/6. On a night when the hosts missed a lot of looks at the rim, three occurred inside the paint.
At the center of a 7-0 burst by the visitors was Quickley, who then staged a 6-0 run before Randle buried a three from the right corner to beat the buzzer, as the Knicks went from down by 14 to claiming an 88-87 edge entering the final 12 minutes.
Quickley scored 11 points in the period, and Randle registered ten. The Knicks outproduced the Celtics 16-2 in the paint.
Tatum led Boston with eight points, who also got six from Horford.
Celtics Rally to Force a Fifth Frame
The Knicks extended their lead with an 8-0 run early in the fourth quarter, including a pair of threes by Barrett and Quickley.
Shortly after that burst, Quickley took advantage of Grant Williams' giving him a path to drive middle, getting into the paint, and finishing through contact by Williams. He missed the free throw, though, so the lead stood at 102-94 with 7:24 remaining.
But Tatum struck back with a 5-0 run, drilling a three, then coming off a Horford screen and getting to the cup for a two-handed flush, trimming the deficit to 102-99 with 6:33 on the game clock.
A few minutes later, Brown brought Boston within one, coming from behind to swat a Randle jumper above the free-throw line, then converting it into a layup at the other end.
And with Barrett fouling Brown as he did so, he sent the latter to the line, where Brown's free throw tied the game at 102 with 4:09 left.
After a clutch defensive stop by the Celtics with 3:07 to go, with pressure on Randle resulting in a travel, Smart fell to the hardwood. With Tatum telling the nearest referee Randle kicked his leg out, the officials reviewed the play for a hostile act, but decided the contact was incidental.
Smart stayed in the game.
And after a Josh Hart layup put New York ahead 108-104, the Celtics' floor general jacked a three early in the shot clock, a poor look that badly bricked.
Randle swished a shot from behind the arc at the other end, extending the visitors' lead to 111-104 with 1:25 to play.
But Boston staged a 6-0 run, featuring a three by Tatum and one from Smart in the left corner on the Celtics' third chance that possession, including Smart's second attempt from that same corner.
That pulled the hosts within one, 111-110, with 19.1 seconds left.
And after sending Randle to the line, where he put the Knicks ahead 113-110, Boston opted for a two-for-one, sending the ball to Brown in the low post. But after he muscled his way into the paint, Quentin Grimes fouled Brown, who made the shot, then tied the game at 113, forcing overtime.
One Overtime Not Enough
After threes by Smart and Hart, Brown launched an ill-advised three.
He got the ball against Hart, the Knicks' best perimeter defender on the floor, but failed to create an opening to get downhill, so he pulled the ball out, then launched a deep three from 27 feet that didn't come close.
But on the Celtics' following possession, Grant Williams, who played the entire fourth quarter and stayed in for overtime, got position inside on Randle, resulting in a foul on the latter as they went for the rebound on a missed three by Tatum. That sent Williams to the line, where he gave the Celtics a 118-117 advantage with 1:20 left.
And after Randle went to the stripe and put New York on top by one, Smart attacked the basket, getting into the paint, where he dished down low to Tatum, who spun out and fired a pass to Horford for a three from the right corner.
His shot gave Boston a 121-119 lead with 29.2 seconds remaining, sending TD Garden into a frenzy.
But after a timeout, Quickley, who had gone quiet after such a terrific performance, got to the basket to tie the game. Tatum got to the basket at the other end but couldn't finish, resulting in the game's going to double-overtime.
Knicks' Work on the Offensive Glass Helps Them Prevail in Double-Overtime
Tatum went to the locker room before the start of the second overtime, but he was on the floor when play started.
The Knicks, or to put it more accurately, Quickley, scored the first five points in the period, burying a three and turning a Brown missed jumper into a transition dunk. That gave New York a 126-121 advantage early in the extra frame.
But the Celtics cut the lead to two after a Tatum layup in the final minute, then forced a 24-second violation, getting the ball back trailing 131-129 with 22 seconds left.
On the last play of the game, Tatum drove, he kicked the ball out to Horford in the right corner, only to see the latter's shot draw iron, and the Knicks held on for a 131-129 win, their second-straight victory at TD Garden.
It also means New York wins the season series against Boston 3-1.
The Knicks grabbing three offensive rebounds, including Mitchell Robinson earning the positioning that got him two, was essential to their taking six free throws in the second overtime, producing three of their ten points in the period at the stripe.
It didn't help that Brown, who leads the league in overtime points this season with 38, went scoreless in the fifth and sixth frames.
In defeat, the Celtics attempted a franchise record 59 threes in the contest, making 21 (35.6 percent).
Up Next
The Celtics travel to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers Monday night in a game that tips off at 7:00 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
Joe Mazzulla Shares His Perspective on the Roots of the Celtics' Collapse vs. Nets
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Nets: Boston Backslides at a Time It Needs to Tighten Up
A Top Celtics Free-Agent Target Signs Elsewhere, Where Does Boston Go from Here?
