While the Boston Celtics made NBA playoff history in a Game 1 loss to the New York Knicks, Jay Williams had had enough. On Get Up on ESPN, he had a blunt message for what he saw on Monday.
"The second half was probably the dumbest second half I've ever seen that the Celtics have played."
—@RealJayWilliams pic.twitter.com/8SeWiwjU1p
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 6, 2025
“The second half was probably the dumbest second half I've ever seen that the Celtics have played,” Williams explained.
Unfortunately for Boston, they had a record, but not for a good reason. The Celtics missed a record-setting 45 three-point shots during Monday's loss.
That allowed the Knicks to come back and secure a gritty Game 1. While it's unlike they'll miss that many shots from beyond the arc, it's indicative of the conversation around the NBA.
Plenty of people will think that the 3-point shot is a detriment to the game. However, this is a first for the Celtics. If it were the regular season, this might not be as big of a deal.
But because this occurred in the playoffs, people like Williams are seeing this as a travesty. Missing that many shots isn't a good sign, but it shows that Boston is human.
Does Jay Williams have a point about the Celtics?
In the second half, the Celtics had 37 of their 49 shot attempts come from the three. Some of the looks were open, but some of them were also bad shots forced by the Knicks' defense.
Still, every team has one bad game. Even though the Celtics missed 45 threes, they only lost by three points. It's no excuse, but that shows how good Boston is.
Article Continues BelowNot to mention, New York nearly shot 50% from three in the close win.
Again, the shooting performance isn't ideal, but Williams seems a bit overreactive to the statistic. The Celtics led the league in threes made and attempted in the regular season.
That's their bread and butter. They won't be going away from that just because of 45 missed shots.
At the end of the day, Williams' point will stand until at least Game 2. Then, Boston might have a chance to have its retribution against the Knicks.
They might unload a three-point barrage on New York and capitalize on those missed looks during Monday's game.
Either way, their offensive identity won't change based off of one game. If they won the 2024 NBA championship with the same philosophy, why would they ditch it based off of one bad game?
It'll be interesting to see what the Celtics do in Game 2, if they decide to switch it up or keep the same offensive strategy.