Knicks Must Make Game 2 Adjustments

The New York Knicks are in need of some changes ahead of Game 2.

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns shoots the ball against Boston Celtics center Al Horford. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks may have won Game 1 against the Boston Celtics, but they will have to make some changes if they want to win Game 2 to sweep their games on the road.

The Celtics struggled shooting from distance, but there were some things that worked in their favor, especially in the first half.

The Athletic insider Jared Weiss pointed out what worked for the Celtics against the Knicks.

"The Celtics took over Game 1 early with creative approaches to mismatch hunting. [Jayson] Tatum wanted [Karl-Anthony] Towns out in space so he could get the Knicks’ star in foul trouble," Weiss wrote.

"It worked, getting Towns out of the game early and letting Boston take control using the Hack-a-Mitchell-Robinson gambit. But when [OG] Anunoby brought New York back into the game, that gave Brunson his chance to return the favor."

The Celtics didn't play their best, but things could have been a lot worse for them as well. It should give them signs of encouragement going into the rest of the series.

"These teams are well built for each other and have someone on each side who can hunt out those advantages throughout crunch time. The Celtics couldn’t hit anything, and the Knicks’ iso defense was a big part of that, but Boston eventually will find their shot," Weiss wrote.

The Celtics took 60 3-pointers, making just 15. Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined to make just 5 of 25 from distance between the two of them. The Knicks cannot count on that happening for the rest of the series.

New York took advantage when Boston's shots weren't falling, and the Knicks deserve credit for that, but it will be a long series, and the Celtics are still the defending champions for a reason.

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