The New York Knicks have a chance to go up 3-0 in their second round playoff series against the Boston Celtics on Saturday. It can be easy for them to get complacent and think that they will be able to cruise the rest of the way.
Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns taking it one game at a time
However, that is certainly not the case with this Celtics team, as they are the defending champions and can easily make this a series with a victory of their own. While their backs are against the wall, Boston can still come back in this series and take down New York.
Therefore, the Knicks must keep their foot on the gas and apply pressure to bury the Celtics. Karl-Anthony Towns has a similar mindset and is not thinking about potentially being up 3-0 ahead of Game 3.
“We haven’t gotten a 3-0 lead, so let’s take it game-by-game. We’ve got to continue playing Knicks basketball and let the chips fall where they fall,” Towns said via SNY.
The Knicks still need to play better basketball
The Knicks have won both games so far this series in dramatic comeback fashion, which can be demoralizing for Boston especially since both games were at home for them. However, New York’s wins have been far from perfect, and they will need to clean up some things if they wish to gain full control.
First and foremost, New York has to start games stronger. In Game 2, they only scored 13 first quarter points and found themselves down 20 late in the third quarter. Luckily for them, their defense has played up this series and has been a big reason for their success.
However, they cannot afford to continue their slow starts against Boston, as they have the capability to outscore their opponents in bunches. This is the same Celtics team that made 29 three-pointers on Opening Night against this Knicks team, so New York knows very well what they are capable of.
Game 3 is set to tip off at 3:30 P.M. EST Saturday.