Knicks 3-Point Defense May Not Be Fluke vs. Celtics

The New York Knicks are showing a pattern on defense against the Boston Celtics.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum shoots for three points against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are up 2-0 in their playoff series against the Boston Celtics, who made more 3-pointers than any team in the league during the regular season.

After shooting 15 of 60 from beyond the 3-point line in Game 1, many thought that it was just a one-time occurrence to shoot that poorly from distance. However, Game 2 saw the Celtics go 10 of 40, matching the same 25 percent from beyond the arc.

The Athletic insider Jared Weiss looks into the Celtics' 3-point shooting woes.

"Remember the Celtics? The team that won a title by burying the world under an avalanche of 3s. The squad that always had an offensive answer for every scenario, with a star-studded lineup full of scorers in every phase of the game," Weiss wrote.

"Well, that team isn’t answering the bell right now. The Celtics look like the kind of defending champ that reminds you why we rarely say, 'repeat champ.' They look tired, plain and simple."

"They can fix this easily. They lost both games on walk-off defensive plays by Bridges. Though they are collapsing, the gap is minuscule and the Celtics’ whole identity is in opening up those gaps. But they don’t look like themselves right now and turning things around means something has to change."

The Celtics are sticking true to their offense and identity, but they may look to make some adjustments going into Game 3 with their season getting closer to the brink of elimination.

The Knicks will have to counteract with their own adjustments to ensure that the Celtics don't get a jolt of offense on the road. If they can continue defending the 3-point line at a high level and keep those gaps closed, the Knicks may be able to close out the series soon.

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