Celtics Set Rough NBA Record vs. Knicks

The New York Knicks are happy to be on the right side of history against the Boston Celtics.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum shoots the ball against the New York Knicks. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are preparing for Game 2 with a little bit of comfort after beating the Boston Celtics on the road in overtime during the series opener.

A big reason behind New York's win against Boston was the Celtics' incredible volume of 3-point misses. The Celtics set an NBA record for most missed 3-pointers in a playoff game with 45.

The Athletic beat writer Jay King questions if the Celtics took too many 3-pointers in the Game 1 loss.

"The Celtics made just 15 of 60, a number of wide-open misses coming in the third quarter when they could have turned the game into a laugher. During that quarter, 19 of Boston’s 20 field-goal attempts came from behind the 3-point arc. The Celtics made eight of those tries but missed just enough for New York to stay in the game and eventually charge back. The Knicks took a six-point lead late in the fourth quarter before Boston responded to force overtime," King wrote.

"Did the Celtics shoot too many 3-pointers? They probably settled for too many off-the-bounce looks, especially during the second half. Twice in the final moments of regulation, Tatum dribbled into 3-point attempts when he had a good matchup to attack — Brunson on the first try and Robinson on the second. Tatum missed both of the attempts when he probably should have gone to the basket instead," King went on.

"Over the long term, though, the Celtics likely would love the shots they got for the majority of Game 1. They won’t miss that many very often, though it cost them in the series opener."

At the end of the day, if the Celtics made just one of those 45 misses, this question likely wouldn't come up, but the team didn't execute, and that's what matters.

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