The Boston Celtics finally found their range from three, jumped out to another big lead, and this time finished strong, cutting the series deficit to 2-1 with a 115-93 victory over the New York Knicks in the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 11.
New York Knicks Top Performers:
Jalen Brunson 27 PTS | 4 REB | 7 AST | 41.3 FPS
Brunson got back on track after scoring just 17 points in Game 2, finishing with his 7th game with at least 27 points and his 8th game with at least 7 assists. He’s been shooting close at 38% from the field and three in the series so far. With the team not having many reliable scoring options, they’ll need him to continue performing at this level.
Karl Anthony-Towns 21 PTS | 15 REB | 1 3PM | 38.0 FPS
KAT went through a difficult shooting performance, shooting under 30% and going 0-for-5 from three. However, he was able to keep his output strong with a 10-for-11 performance from the line, finishing with his fifth and second straight game this playoffs with at least 20 points. He also continues to dominate the rebounding, averaging 15 in the last four games. However, his production has mostly come in those areas. They’ll need him to do more, especially in scoring, for them to have a better chance of winning the series.
Josh Hart 10 PTS | 6 REB | 2 BLK | 26.7 FPS
Hart isn’t particularly known for his offense, but he still recorded his eighth game this postseason with double-digit points. However, he was largely ineffective today, missing all of his three-point attempts after going 3-for-6 in Game 2 and finishing with 23 points. His biggest impact continues to come on the defensive end, maintaining strong rebounding value and recording 2 stocks in three straight games.
Mikal Bridges 12 PTS | 3 REB | 2 STL | 22.6 FPS
Bridges has been an excellent all-around force in this series, averaging 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 3 steals in the first two games. While he continues to contribute in multiple areas, he was less effective today. His offense also remained cold and he has shot just 4-for-15 from three. Even so, he’s a very capable scorer and has yet to have a breakout performance.
Mitchell Robinson 6 PTS | 8 REB | 1 AST | 16.1 FPS
Robinson is not really much of an offensive threat and has continued to struggle with his free-throw shooting, going 4-for-12 today. However, he remains the team’s most reliable option from the bench with his defensive play, averaging close to 8 rebounds in this series.
Boston Celtics Top Performers:
Jayson Tatum 22 PTS | 9 REB | 7 AST | 46.3 FPS
JT has been inefficient for much of this series but came through today, finishing with his 86th playoff game scoring at least 20 points. His performance also helped him pass Kobe Bryant for the second-most playoff points by a player age 27 or younger, with 2,892 career points, trailing only LeBron James. His perimeter shooting was the difference-maker, going 5-for-9 today after shooting just 5-for-20 over the first two games. He also maintained strong defensive play and is averaging 13 rebounds and 3 stocks per game in the series. JT has been a consistent multi-category threat in this matchup, but they’ll need him to be sharper offensively if they want to advance to the next round.
Jaylen Brown 19 PTS | 6 REB | 5 AST | 37.7 FPS
JB has delivered balanced and dependable production in three games in this series, with 3 games with at least 19 points, 3 games with at least 6 rebounds, and 2 games with 5 assists. Despite that, his scoring hasn’t been at his best, particularly from the perimeter where he’s shot 5-for-23. That said, he should be capable of more in their next games.
Payton Pritchard 23 PTS | 4 REB | 2 AST | 33.8 FPS
Pritchard has had a breakout season, averaging 14.3 points, 3.2 threes, and 3.5 assists, which clinched him the Sixth Man of the Year award. Despite that, he hadn’t made much of an impact in the playoffs, averaging 9.7 points over seven games prior. But he came through today, going 5-for-10 from three and tying the Knicks as a whole. If he keeps this momentum going, the Celtics will be difficult to stop.
Al Horford 15 PTS | 9 REB | 2 BLK | 33.3 FPS
Horford has been struggling in this series offensively, with just 11 points combined in the first two games while shooting 1-for-10 from the perimeter. But he completely turned things around today, hitting 3-of-4 threes and finishing with his best scoring game of the postseason. He may be inconsistent on offense, but his defense is always dependable, averaging 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in eight games this postseason. With Porzingis struggling, he should continue to see a significant role and remain a valuable contributor in the series.
Derrick White 17 PTS | 5 REB | 1 BLK | 32.0 FPS
D-White has been a consistent threat on offense in this series, averaging nearly 19 points and 4 three-pointers in three games. Defensively, he remains just as impactful, averaging 8 rebounds and 2 stocks. His dependable two-way production will continue to be crucial for the team going forward.
Biggest Disappointment of the Game:
OG Anunoby 2 PTS | 2 REB | 1 AST
OG has been excellent at the start of the series, posting 29 points with 6 threes in Game 1. However, he has struggled badly on offense since, going 3-for-15 in the last two games. He was also a non-factor today on defense after putting up 5 stocks in Game 2. Despite that, he remains capable of elite production on both ends and should have much better performances in their next games.
