Down 2-0, the Celtics head to New York with extra questions than solutions

Whereas in the midst of a hunch in December and January, through which the Boston Celtics misplaced almost as many video games as they gained, they urged endurance. 

This was simply the doldrums of an extended season. The hangover of a championship. A blip. 

“I imagine we’ll peak on the proper second,” Kristaps Porziņģis mentioned Jan. 23 earlier than the Celtics closed their season by profitable 19 of their ultimate 22 video games, reassuring their doubters that they know the right way to flip it on when it counts. 

However after the Celtics blew their second straight 20-point result in the New York Knicks to lose Game 2 of their second-round playoff collection on Wednesday, 91-90, it is time to surprise if the Celtics’ points have been extra pronounced than they presumed. 

The Celtics’ collapse in Recreation 2 was not simply deja vu of Recreation 1, once they blew a 20-point result in fall to the Knicks in time beyond regulation, 108-105; it was symbolic of an even bigger drawback. 

The Celtics are squandering large benefits and collapsing in crunch-time conditions, a problem that might be comprehensible for a younger staff – not a pair of superstars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who’ve performed collectively for eight years, making the playoffs in every of these seasons, and profitable the championship final yr. 

Actually, this was repeated psychological lapses, a significant drawback for a staff that is aware of the margin for error within the postseason is extremely slim. Final postseason, they by no means trailed a collection and by no means misplaced a couple of sport en path to a 16-3 breezy title-winning run.

So, why does this maintain occurring?

“I am unsure,” mentioned Brown, who had 20 factors, six rebounds and 6 turnovers. “We have gotten to nice begins. We guarded, we performed bodily, with vitality at present. To begin the fourth quarter, I believed we obtained like 4 or 5 nice seems that did not go in, so perhaps that affected us. However what’s achieved is completed. Now we have got a possibility to see what we’re made from.”

The difficulty for the Celtics on this collection has been the fourth quarter. In Video games 1 and a pair of, they shot a mixed 9-for-45 (20 p.c) from the sphere and 4-for-24 (16.7) from past the arc within the ultimate 12 minutes.

On Wednesday, Brown went scoreless within the fourth quarter, whereas Tatum was 1-for-5 from the sphere. 

In the meantime, the Knicks noticed that the Celtics hit a wall they usually capitalized on it. Mikal Bridges scored all 14 of his factors within the ultimate quarter. He additionally made the game-sealing steal towards Tatum within the ultimate seconds with the Knicks up, 91-90, stopping the Celtics from firing a doubtlessly game-winning shot. 

Jalen Brunson, who gained the Clutch Participant of the 12 months award, confirmed why he was deserving of that honor, scoring all six of the Knicks’ factors within the ultimate 2 minutes. 

Now, the Knicks are two wins away from their first convention finals look since 2000. 

And the reigning champions are on the ropes, staring down an 0-2 gap with Video games 3 and 4 in New York.

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA author for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand coated the league for Sports activities Illustrated, the Los Angeles Instances, the Bay Space Information Group and the San Antonio Categorical-Information. Comply with her on Twitter @melissarohlin.

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