Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Knicks: New York Bests Boston on a Cold Shooting Night by the Visitors
Every time the Celtics staged a run, the Knicks had an answer. That theme played throughout the night, as did Boston generating quality looks from beyond the arc but failing to capitalize.
The visitors went 9/42 (21.4 percent) in an ice-cold performance from the three-point line that included missing 15-straight long-range attempts. Fifty percent of their shots came from behind the arc.
And while the Celtics produced 52 points in the paint to the Knicks' 42, Boston went 11/14 at the free-throw line while New York took 34, making 23.
Julius Randle led the hosts with 23 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Jalen Brunson scored 17, and Immanuel Quickley provided 23 off the bench. The latter's efforts helped the Knicks' second unit outpace the Celtics' 44-29.
That was despite Malcolm Brogdon producing a team-high 22 points off Boston's bench. Jayson Tatum contributed 14, pairing it with nine assists and seven rebounds on a night he had an early exit, and Marcus Smart manufactured 19 points, four rebounds, and two blocks.
Now, a deep dive into what stood out each quarter as the Celtics fell 109-94 in a rivalry matchup. Due to winning percentage, the loss bumps the Celtics (44-18) to second in the East behind the Bucks (43-17).
Celtics Ice Cold from Behind the Arc in First Frame
On Boston's first possession of the game, Jayson Tatum came off a staggered screen, saw Al Horford's defender rotate to tag the roller, Robert Williams, and immediately delivered a dime on a skip pass to Al Horford for a left-corner three.
But after that, the Celtics missed 11-straight shots from behind the arc. Most of those were good looks that didn't go down, but those droughts are when one likes to see Boston diversify its shot selection.
Derrick White seemed to agree with that sentiment, stepping into a jumper from 11 feet, bringing the score to 8-7 in the early going.
As for the hosts, Julius Randle paced New York in the first few minutes, burying a pair of threes to help them hold an early edge.
In a surprising move, with the visitors having all their options at the four and the five available, Blake Griffin was the first one off their bench. He came in for Williams at the 5:36 mark.
His shift, including finishing out the frame in a lineup featuring four second-unit members and Tatum, wasn't particularly productive. He also fouled Jalen Brunson shooting three at the end of the Quarter.
The former Villanova Wildcat went 2/3 from the stripe, giving the Knicks a 27-15 lead after 12 minutes. Julius Randle had 12 of those. Brunson scored seven.
Horford led Boston with five points.
Tatum only put two on the board, and the Celtics went 1/12 from beyond the arc. Again, these were mostly good looks that didn't go down.
Celtics and Knicks Trade Runs in the Second Quarter
Whether it was Josh Hart hitting a floater before somersaulting to the floor, Immanuel Quickly knocking down a corner three, Brunson finishing through contact, leading to an old-school three-point play, or Obi Toppin attacking off the catch, slicing through the defense like a hot knife through butter for a layup, a combination of hot shooting and not enough resistance resulted in a 12-4 New York run that at one point was 8-0. That put the hosts ahead 49-29 at the 6:02 mark.
But Boston struck back with an 8-0 burst of its own, including White following his shot for a put-back layup.
There was also Marcus Smart attacking after a Timelord block, getting a tough two to go down from inside the paint, and Tatum using a crossover at the top of the key and gliding in for a layup. That run trimmed a 20-point deficit to 49-37 with 4:28 left in the first half.
As the Celtics locked in defensively, holding the Knicks scoreless for over three minutes, the visitors narrowed the gap to 49-41 with under three minutes remaining before the break.
But then it was the hosts' turn to deliver a counterpunch, starting with a thunderous slam from Mitchell Robinson off an RJ Barrett lob.
The latter followed that up by drilling a right-corner three, then attacking off the dribble, getting to the basket, and finishing through contact on what turned into a three-point play.
Barrett's burst helped New York take a 60-46 lead into the locker room.
Brunson led all scorers with 13 points at the half. Randle registered 12 and grabbed five rebounds.
Quickley (ten points) and Hart (seven) helped the Knicks gain a 21-10 advantage in second-unit scoring.
As for the visitors, Smart led the Celtics with 11 points. White and Malcolm Brogdon scored eight, and Tatum had six.
But Boston's cold shooting continued throughout the first 24 minutes. The visitors missed 15-straight threes before Smart knocked one down from the left wing with 1:36 left in the second frame.
Celtics Can't String Enough Positive Plays Together to Gain Ground in the Third Quarter
The Celtics got off to a good start defensively in the third quarter. That included shrinking the floor, resulting in poor spacing that contributed to two Randle airballs.
And when Tatum missed from beyond the arc, but he followed his shot, got his follow-up blocked, but found Horford for a left-corner three, Boston cut the deficit to single-digits, 60-51, with 9:53 to play in the period.
Mike Muscala checked in for White at the 5:47 mark, representing his first minutes of the night. The reason for Mazzulla subbing him in immediately proved fruitful, as his defender stayed attached to him in the far-side corner as Horford got a dunk out of a pick-and-roll with no one rotating to tag him. That was part of an 8-0 run that kept the visitors within nine, 74-65, with 5:17 to go.
And with less than two minutes left in the period, Smart earned a Tommy Point, rotating with cat-like quickness, to thwart Isaiah Hartenstein at the rim, leading to a Brogdon layup at the other end.
But while the Celtics had more success from beyond the arc in the third quarter than the first half, making 5/13 (38.5 percent) of their threes, they missed too many good looks to put much of a dent in New York's halftime advantage, going from down 14 after 24 minutes to 13 entering the final 12.
The Knicks only scored 28 points in a low-scoring third frame -- Boston manufactured 29 -- but they often got timely buckets, countering Celtics' runs and stemming the tide when necessary.
Tatum's Ejection Ends Any Hopes of a Celtics' Comeback
Again, an encouraging start to a quarter on the defensive end helped the visitors cut into the hosts' lead.
And when Barrett dribbled into a jam, turned, and delivered a gift-wrapped interception to Brogdon, it translated to a White layup that brought Boston within ten, 93-83, with 8:45 remaining.
But in a sequence that exemplified how the night's gone for the Celtics, Tatum found Sam Hauser for an open three from the left corner, only to see it miss the mark. Hart grabbed the rebound, pushed the pace, and found Toppin for a transition jam, putting New York ahead 98-86.
And when Robinson cleaned up a missed floater by Quickley, the Knicks extended their advantage to 100-86 with 6:18 left.
But with 3:46 to play, Tatum, who picked up a rather soft technical earlier in the game, got ejected for continuing to voice his displeasure with the lack of a foul call on a three he missed, turning to deliver one last message to the nearby official after Hart buried a shot from the left corner.
Quickley tacked on the free throw on the technical, putting New York ahead 106-91 with 3:46 remaining.
The Celtics didn't play with enough consistency at either end to suggest a comeback was in the works. And between their best player's early exit, Jaylen Brown being out, and the game nearing its finish, Tatum's ejection felt like the final blow to Boston's hopes of improving to 2-0 at Madison Square Garden this season.
From there, the Knicks put the finishing touches on a 109-94 win.
Up Next
The Celtics return home to host the Cavaliers Wednesday night. That game tips off at 7:30 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's Message to the Celtics After Clinching Season Series vs. Sixers
Film Room: How the Celtics Defend Joel Embiid
[Film Room] What Worked for Celtics' Starters vs. Pacers and What Needs Addressing
