5 in a row, 9 of their last 10, 12 of their last 15.
I think it’s safe to say the defending Champs have climbed out of their mid season collective slump.
Who could have possibly seen this coming?
(anyone with a brain)
But what do I always say?
Perspective is important, both in the ruts and during the stretches where you look unstoppable.
I really can’t understand why peoplestilltry to do this with regular season basketball.
That’s not really what happens.
you’ve got the option to’t just pick the worst stretches and say “See!
This is who they’ll be in the playoffs!”
the same way you’ve got the option to’t pick their best stretches and say “See!
This is who they’ll be in the playoffs!”.
It doesn’t work like that.
The regular season and the playoffs are different animals.
Once that starts, it’s an entirely new journey with a new context around it.
But that is not to say the regular season doesn’t matter.
Far from it, it just matters for different reasons.
For the defending Champs, it’s pretty simple.
Now that they punched their 40/20 ticket, that’s pretty much all that matters.
Over these last 25+ games, that’s really the only goal.
But there will be plenty of time to talk about all that stuff over the stretch run.
For now, let’s talk about what was yet another masterclass performance from the Champs.
All this “Tatum and Brown” stopping?
We haven’t even come close to seeing it.
It hasn’t mattered of OG played or not, the results have been the same.
Mikal Bridges has played in all the games, OG has played in 2 of the 3.
I’m sorry if this is tough for Knicks fans to hear, but they’re just too small.
This isn’t just a Knicks problem, it’s an every team problem.
Even your “best” on ball wing defender is too small for this version of Jayson Tatum.
Their other big name trade in KAT?
He simply cannot be on the floor with Jayson Tatum.
We’ve seen it in every single matchup this season, KAT is going to be exploited.
All it takes is a simple P&R and he’s cooked.
It’s a lose/lose really.
If you play for his drive, congrats here’s a pull up 3PA in your eyeball.
So what’s the solve here?
As long as KAT is on the floor, Mazzulla will find a way to hunt him with Tatum.
If he’s also sharing the floor with Brunson?
That’s just too many holes you have to worry about.
What makes Tatum so terrifying is you are not just watching an elite scorer.
He uses these mismatches and advantages against awful defenders to ALSO generate wide open looks for his teammates.
We haven’t even gotten to that part of the problem.
That means death against a team like this.
Every player on the floor can shoot 3s and shoots them at a high clip.
You add in an aggressive Tatum to that equation, and this is what happens.
- Like I said, this isn’t just a Tatum problem.
The Knicks have the exact same issue with the other Jay as well.
As long as one is on the court, you have the advantage.
It was also noticeable how Jaylen did not let a slow start impact his mental focus.
In the first half, he wasn’t all that great.
Some bad TOs, inefficient, just not really good enough despite the score.
- The Knicks own one of the best offenses in the NBA this season.
It’s actually pretty historic if you look at the metrics.
Their spacing and shooting mixed with their pace have them with the 4th best offense in the NBA.
The first being he hit probably 2 or 3 separate grenade 3s.
Nobody, and I mean nobody is better at this than Derrick White.
This season, Derrick White shoots 34% in the last 4 seconds of the shot clock.
That trails only Sam Hauser (36.8%) who has taken slightly fewer attempts.
In total, Derrick has 38 of these types of 3PA.
He’s doing that as a point guard by the way, I just wanted to remind everyone.
When he locks in though, it’s a nice reminder of just how devastating this defense can be.
Jalen Brunson did not score (0-3) in any of his 23 possessions vs Jrue.
Bridges was 1-5 in his 8 possessions.
KAT was 0-1 in his 10 possessions.
Just think of that for a second.
Jrue clamped their best scorer and All NBA point guard.
As a point guard.
- Celts took the lead after about 30 seconds of game time and never gave it back.
A full 48 minute ass kicking which is certainly welcomed any time, but is especially welcomed at home.
It’s not lost on me that they wore their road green uniforms.
Brilliant move that worked like a charm.
When the Knicks aren’t being bailed out and are forced to execute, they struggle.
Only 11 FTA for either side, and this was a blowout.
That’s it right there.
That is the way.
This feels like a matchup he should thrive in, but it sneaky feels like he’s struggled.
Doesn’t make it good, but it’s mostly whatever.
In reality, it’s those lulls that probably hurt him the most in the MVP race.
- I would say the same thing for Jaylen’s 2nd quarter.
Forced jumpers, turnovers, no FTs, and just 2-5 during those non-Tatum minutes.
It’s about avoiding these types of lulls once the playoffs start.
Congrats on hitting some 3s when nobody was trying dude.
Brutal point differential hit in the last 90 seconds to put the Celts at a +9.4 on the season.
Should have been a few points higher but Bridges has no shame.
It’s Fuck Tony Brothers forever.
Here’s the thing about the Knicks.
They are not ethical hoopers.
They rely on baiting and fouls and flopping to be successful.
We’re just not doing that anymore?
Meanwhile, on the other end, you have ethical hoopers
Who do we think the Basketball Gods reward?
The Ugly
- By now you should know the rule.
Win 5 in a row and we get to skip this section, as a treat.
Looking ahead, Celts have a B2B against TOR/DET before their last showdown against the Cavs on Friday.
The good times will continue to roll.
It’s that simple.
