The New York Knicks have started each game of the second round against the Boston Celtics fairly slow. They’ve found themselves trailing by at least 20 points in each game this series, and while they were able to comeback and win the first two games, that magic didn’t show up in Game 3 as they got pounced at home.
The Knicks must avoid a slow start in Game 4
Game 4 has to be a different story to avoid giving the Celtics momentum. The Knicks can’t afford to give Boston life after having them on the ropes up two games to one.
The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III has a simple solution for the Knicks to be able to take control of the series.
“Ultimately, the Knicks need to find a way to stop trailing by 20. It’s hard for any team to fight and claw back out of a hole regularly, and it feels like New York has used up enough comeback efforts this postseason to last a lifetime,” Edwards wrote. “New York’s defense wasn’t nearly as sharp as it had been. It lost Celtics shooters all night and struggled between drop and switching. On the other end, the offense continues to stall out and go long spells without any form of rhythm.”
The Knicks need to find a counter to Boston’s shooting prowess
Despite that being a relatively simple solution, it is still a daunting task for New York. Boston is an incredible defensive team while also being able to wipe teams off the floor with their lights-out shooting, and the Knicks must come back with a strong counter after getting blown out in Game 3.
Starting off strong will be the key, as New York needs to set the tone of the game from start to finish. If they can do that, their chances of winning significantly increase, and they can potentially go up 3-1 with an opportunity to close out the defending champions on their home floor.