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Live or die by the three, that's the mentality the Boston Celtics have embraced over the past two seasons. The Celtics are stretching the bounds of what constitutes an acceptable percentage of three-point shots in a team's shot diet, and in Game 1 of their second-round matchup against the New York Knicks, they ended up shooting themselves on the foot, going 15-60 from beyond the arc as they relinquished a 20-point lead in a 108-105 overtime loss.
The Celtics put up the most three-point attempts in a single game in playoff history, and it did not pay off for them the way it typically has over the past two or so years. After their brutal Game 1 loss, many are imploring them to perhaps attack the paint more and be more aggressive when it comes to hunting easier shots from around the basket.
But for Jaylen Brown, all the Celtics can do is not think too much about what transpired in Game 1 and move on to the next game. After all, losing Game 1 is far from the end of the world, especially for a team with championship mettle.
“We'll take a look at it and learn what you can learn from it. We had a historic night of missed three-pointers, etcetera. We'll take a look and kind of see what the energy was. In reality, you've almost got to have a short-term memory, throw it away, get ready for Game 2. We don't have time to let stuff carry over. So we make adjustments and come ready to play in our own floor,” Brown said in his postgame presser, via SNY on X (formerly Twitter).
"We had a historic night of missed three-pointers, etc. We'll take a look and kind of see what the energy was. In reality, you've almost got to have a short-term memory, throw it away, get ready for Game 2. We don't have time to let stuff carry over."
– Jaylen Brown pic.twitter.com/amBnCn7hDV
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 6, 2025
Brown will definitely want to forget his 1-10 night from beyond the arc in Game 1. Perhaps it would serve him and the Celtics best if they can attack the hoop more often, taking on the challenge against the Knicks' tough perimeter defenders in Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby.
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Will Celtics stick to their core gameplan?
Getting a good look at a three is the primary directive of the Celtics' offense. They led the league in three-point makes and attempts during the regular season and was the only team in the NBA to have more than half of their total shot attempts come from beyond the arc.
The Celtics won't be shooting 25 percent from three on 60 attempts every night. Shooting regression will be in their favor the deeper they go into the series, and they will look to show that Game 1 is the aberration, not the norm, when it comes to their production from beyond the arc.
