Three Studs, Three Duds As Celtics Implode In Game 2 Loss To Knicks

The Boston Celtics found themselves in a spot they haven’t been in quite a while against the New York Knicks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, which left the team no other option: it was must-win time.

That was the message, which meant all that was left was bringing it to life.

But for the second straight time, the Celtics failed. Joe Mazzulla failed. Jayson Tatum failed, and the arrogance that should’ve taught the reigning champions a lesson reappeared with another rude reminder. Boston refused to come to grips with reality, while Jalen Brunson and the Knicks were waiting for the same collapse that Al Horford promised the team would respond to and bounce back from.

Instead, the Celtics will travel over to Madison Square Garden down 2-0. Here are three studs and three duds from Boston’s 91-90 Game 2 loss to New York:

STUDS
Jaylen Brown
The Celtics struggled to find any offensive stability and consistency, and Brown knew it.

Since the three-ball wasn’t falling, Brown worked to supply an uptick of offensive aggression that wasn’t at all present in the second half of Game 1. The four-time All-Star scored 20 points on 8-of-23 shooting from the field with six rebounds and two steals. Brown played 41 minutes and was the premier source of attacking the interior.

Karl-Anthony Towns
New York’s big man dominated.

Towns notched a 21-point, 17-rebound double-double. He continued to punish the Celtics defense, relying just once on the 3-point line to search for a basket. It’s a performance that should fill Towns with confidence as the series shifts to New York and Boston struggles to recover from the illness absence that’s impacted Kristaps Porzingis.

Mikal Bridges
Despite entering the fourth quarter with zero points on 0-of-8 shooting, Bridges remained focused and caught the Celtics off guard.

Bridges never quit and nearly matched Boston’s fourth-quarter scoring total with 14 points. He also grabbed seven rebounds, dished out five assists and racked up three crucial steals to stump the Celtics time and time again. New York stuck with Bridges through his highs and lows, and it paid off in the ultimate way.

DUDS
Joe Mazzulla
Game 1 should’ve been enough of a wake-up call for Mazzulla.

Instead, the third-year head coach spent the past 48 hours in self-defense mode against the media. That didn’t translate to helping the Celtics bridge the margin gap with the Knicks as the team stuck by its self-destructive game plan and shot 10-of-40 from 3-point range this time. Mazzulla watched madness unfold and didn’t do a thing about it. The plays were sloppy, the execution was horrendous and the urgency was minimal.

Boston blew its second-straight 20-point lead to the same New York team the Celtics swept, 4-0, in the regular season.

Mazzulla must’ve forgotten who held the clipboard two years ago in the conference finals against the Miami Heat.

Jayson Tatum
It’s hard to imagine Tatum, too, lacks this much self-awareness.

Tatum helped Mazzulla co-write Boston’s plot for self-destruction by doing more damage than good when on the floor. The 27-year-old scored 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting from the floor, which included a 1-of-5 showing from three. Tatum grabbed 14 rebounds, but that was his most valuable contribution as he sat at the top of the key in isolation and failed to fill the playmaker’s role that did wonders last postseason. Then, once the final possession granted the Celtics the chance to put the Knicks away, again, Tatum turned the ball over.

Al Horford
Boston’s veteran leader just didn’t have it in Game 2.

Horford registered a minus-11 rating, the worst of any Celtics starter. He scored four points, and it wasn’t a lack of shot attempts issue — Horford shot 2-of-11. He couldn’t buy a 3-point basket either, finishing 0-for-5 in that department and when it came to crashing the boards, Horford wasn’t Boston’s guy either — he grabbed four rebounds.

It was one of those nights in which Horford’s age introduced itself continuously.