Jaylen Brown Bluntly Criticized Celtics After Game 4 Loss To Knicks
Don’t let Jayson Tatum’s injury distract you from an important notion about Celtics-Knicks Game 4 at Madison Square Garden.
It was another contest that Boston should have won.
The reigning NBA champions, who blew a pair of 20-point leads in Games 1 and 2 at TD Garden, had a few important factors working in their favor for the majority of Monday night. Their best player was playing like a legitimate superstar, their 3-point shots were falling at an acceptable rate and they built a lead up to as much as 14 points in one of the NBA’s most hostile environments.
Unfortunately for Boston, one of its greatest strengths looked more like a weakness at an incredibly important juncture.
The C’s struggled mightily on the defensive end in the second half, most notably in the third quarter when they were outscored 37-23. The Knicks practically were scoring at will in crunch time, and they made more than enough timely shots to secure a 121-113 win over Joe Mazzulla’s side. Jaylen Brown, surely much like most Green Teamers, wasn’t pleased at all with how Boston performed on defense.
“It was terrible defensively tonight, to be frank,” Brown told reporters, per The Athletic. “Just no resistance.”
Turning in a better collective defensive effort won’t be easy for the Celtics on Wednesday night. Tatum is one of Boston’s best defenders, and playing inspired could be challenging for a team that’s facing a considerable series deficit without its No. 1 option.
Nonetheless, the C’s will try to keep their season alive in Game 5 on Causeway Street. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.