Joe Mazzulla’s Boston Celtics suffered a second straight late-game collapse during Wednesday’s 91-90 Game 2 Eastern Conference semifinal home loss to the New York Knicks.
Afterward, the third-year coach bluntly addressed his team’s shortcomings.
After squandering a 20-point third-quarter lead during Monday’s 108-105 overtime Game 1 home loss, Boston faced immense pressure to defend its home floor in Game 2. Instead, history repeated itself, as the defending NBA champions blew another 20-point third-quarter advantage.
New York finished with a 30-17 fourth-quarter edge, with star point guard Jalen Brunson converting two free throws to take a one-point lead with 12.7 seconds left. Knicks wing Mikal Bridges then pulled out his second consecutive game-clinching stop, this time on Celtics superstar forward Jayson Tatum’s last possession.
However, the Celtics’ offensive struggles lasted most of the final frame, as they failed to make a single field goal from the 8:40 mark until 18.5 seconds remained. During that span, they watched their 84-68 lead evaporate in front of their home fans, sending them into an unexpected 2-0 series deficit.
Joe Mazzulla Gets Candid on Boston’s Game 2 Offensive Woes
During Wednesday’s postgame interview, Mazzulla, who caught flak online for his late-game coaching choices, including his timeout management, defended his squad. He noted that the Celtics made several sound offensive decisions but failed to capitalize on them down the stretch.
“The end of that third and in the fourth quarter, I thought we generated some good looks, and then I thought we had some live-ball turnovers, and they took advantage of it,” Mazzulla said. “They made the necessary plays to win. We put ourselves in a position to do that, and we just didn’t make the plays.”
After shooting a historically bad 15-for-60 from 3-point range (25%) in Game 1, Boston fared the same on a lesser volume in Game 2, going 10-for-40 (25%). Tatum, in particular, faltered offensively again, shooting 5-for-19 (26.3%), including 1-for-5 from deep (20%), scoring 13 points.
Meanwhile, the Knicks received a combined 44 points from star center Karl-Anthony Towns and wing Josh Hart on a relatively quiet night from Brunson. Towns added a game-high 17 rebounds, while Bridges also came up big, scoring all 14 of his points in the fourth quarter.
Mazzulla on How Celtics Can Come Back From 2–0 Series Hole
When asked how Boston can overcome back-to-back letdowns at TD Garden and make it a series, Mazzulla maintained poise, highlighting his team’s need for consistent effort.
“You just take a look at it, figure out where you have to be better and put a full 48 minutes together,” Mazzulla said. “I have an understanding that it’s going to be difficult. That’s why we do what we do.”
Game 3 takes place Saturday in New York, where the Knicks will have a chance to take a commanding 3-0 lead at Madison Square Garden.
