The New York Knicks are up 2-0 in their second round series against the Boston Celtics despite having played far from their best basketball offensively. The matchup has been a defensive duel from both teams, but it has been the Knicks who have gained the edge thus far.
The Knicks have defended Jayson Tatum very well this series
A big reason for that is their defense on Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum. Tatum has been mostly silenced this series, which includes a 13-point, 5-for-19 performance in Game 2.
Most notably, Tatum has been completely shut down in fourth quarters this postseason. In the two games so far this series, Tatum is shooting just 1-for-12 from the floor and 0-for-7 from three, and his struggles are a big reason why New York was able to make two 20-point comebacks to win both games on the road.
The Athletic’s Jay King described how the Knicks have defended Tatum this series.
“He finished the game with just 13 points on 5-of-20 shooting, missing four of five 3-point attempts, five of nine attempts inside the paint and all five of his other two-point attempts,” King wrote.
“With less than four minutes left, he misfired on an open corner 3-pointer that would have put the Celtics ahead by nine points. Two minutes later, he bricked a fadeaway jumper with the Celtics’ lead down to one. He briefly flirted with his first single-digit postseason scoring game since 2021 before finally reaching double digits on a pair of free throws inside the final minute,” King continued.
The Knicks’ defense has been phenomenal
The Knicks have forced Tatum into taking tough, contested shots and low percentage looks. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, in particular, have displayed the dominant wing defense that was advertised of the pair following the trade for Bridges in the offseason.
In both games, Bridges made a game-saving defensive play to secure the two victories for New York. Those plays have been crucial given Bridges’ offensive struggles this series, and he has been a huge difference maker for New York.
If the Knicks continue to keep Tatum from taking over, they can take this series rather easily. They’ll have a chance to go up 3-0 in the series Saturday afternoon as the series heads to Madison Square Garden.