How can Celtics comeback in opposition to Knicks? Much less 3-pointers, Paul Pierce says

Paul Pierce had an eventful Thursday morning into afternoon after a guess he made on the Boston Celtics went mistaken. The Celtics’ legend walked roughly 20 miles from his dwelling in Los Angeles to the FOX Studio lot forward of Thursday’s “Converse,” fulfilling the promise he made if his former crew misplaced Sport 2 of their Japanese Convention semifinals sequence in opposition to the New York Knicks.

When he arrived for Thursday’s “Converse,” Pierce recreated his memorable wheelchair incident, persevering with to joke round earlier than weighing in on the Celtics’ 2-0 deficit to the Knicks. As Boston blew a 20-point lead within the second half for the second straight sport, Pierce believes that the Celtics’ ball motion grew to become lackluster within the fourth quarter of Sport 2.

“They received complacent. They received snug. You may’t get snug within the playoffs. They began to accept 3s, that is their sport, however they are not shifting the ball, too. That is an fascinating stat: When the Celtics have 25-plus assists, they’re 42-5. Once they have 30-plus assists, they’re 23-1. Once they have greater than 31 assists, they’re 18-0. You gotta transfer the ball to get these photographs. Generally, I see them simply get a choose and launch or one go and shoot it.”

To Pierce’s level, the Celtics have solely recorded six assists within the fourth quarter by the primary two video games. However so as to get an help, you really have to make your photographs. The Celtics missed 14 straight subject targets over an eight-plus minute stretch within the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s Sport 2, seeing their lead go from 16 to falling right into a one-point deficit over that point. 

Of the 14 photographs the Celtics missed throughout that run, seven had been 3-pointers. Their chilly 3-point taking pictures within the remaining minutes of Sport 2 was a continuation of their poor taking pictures from Sport 1, once they missed a playoff-record 45 3-pointers. 

Whereas the Celtics have solely made 25 of 100 3-pointers within the sequence, Pierce really would not suppose that they are taking pictures too many 3s. Reasonably, he thinks the method of getting these photographs hasn’t labored.

“You’ve got gotta get the 3s from moving into the paint and kicking out,” Pierce mentioned. “You’ve got gotta do extra of that. Assault the basket first. That is going to be the important thing for them.”

Along with Boston’s course of in creating photographs, Pierce thinks his previous crew can be getting outworked. 

“The Knicks are only a extra bodily crew than them. They flip up the physicality within the fourth quarter, a typical [Tom Thibodeau] crew, and we begin backpedaling,” Pierce mentioned. “Now, look what’s occurred. We have discovered ourselves in a gap, down 0-2. … We’re the most effective highway crew within the NBA. There’s gotta be some power to it! Possibly some arms could have to get thrown!”

If there have been one approach to decide toughness, it could possibly be by what number of offensive rebounds you’ve got allowed. Up to now, the Celtics have allowed the Knicks to get 13 rebounds on their 49 misses within the second half or time beyond regulation by the primary two video games, which is nice for a 26.5 offensive rebound share. For reference, that mark would rank within the prime 10 amongst NBA groups this season.

The Celtics have additionally had some struggles in making baskets near the rim, too. They’re taking pictures 59.6% from inside 5 toes of the rim this sequence, per NBA.com’s monitoring information. That quantity is a significant lower from the 67.2% they shot from that vary through the common season.

Extra importantly, although, Boston’s prime star has struggled. Jayson Tatum has solely scored 36 factors by the primary two video games of the sequence, making simply 28.6% of his photographs from the sector. Pierce sighed when Ric Bucher mentioned that the Celtics haven’t got a better, however Tatum’s struggles by the primary two video games are simple.

“[Tatum] took fewer photographs from inside three toes of the rim this season than he has in any season of his profession. Almost half of his photographs this yr had been from 3-point vary,” Bucher mentioned. “I assumed that he had taken a step from final yr to the best way that he performed this yr, that he had advanced into that nearer and handed Jaylen Brown in that position. However, I spotted in fascinated with all the large photographs he is made this yr, they’ve all typically been 3-pointers or photographs on the rim. 

“What we’re saying is that this sequence is being dictated by the power to attain in any respect three ranges, and his midrange sport is nowhere to be discovered proper now.”

Knicks beat Celtics in Sport 2, Does Boston want extra from Jayson Tatum?

Regardless that the Celtics are down 2-0, they’re only some factors away from being up 2-0 on this sequence, dropping the primary two video games by a mixed 4 factors. This additionally is not unfamiliar territory for this crew, both. They went down 2-0 within the 2023 Japanese Convention finals in opposition to the Miami Warmth, dropping each video games at dwelling. They went on to lose that sequence, however not after forcing a Sport 7 by profitable three straight.

That is why Pierce nonetheless has confidence within the Celtics, however he is not going to place a wager down this time.

“We gonna bounce again,” Pierce mentioned. “I am telling y’all, Sport 3, assured. It is assured! That was a superb guess. They had been favored by 10 factors.”

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