When the Boston Celtics left New York last month, they had just finished a sweeping of the Knicks season that made it seem that a postseason meeting would be a simple step in its climbing climb to the finals of the NBA.
Now it looks like the one who could stumble with them.
In more problems they faced at any time last year, NBA defenders take a 2-0 deficit in game 3 on Saturday in Madison Square Garden, where Ticket prices are raising While fans hope to be in the building to see the Knicks try to close their first appearance in the ESE conference finals in 25 years.
“We have to go into Saturday’s game and win the game,” said the Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. “This is how it is. We have to win.”
The Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves are tied 1-1 in the other series that resume on Saturday in San Francisco, and have the stellar place during ABC hours.
But with Stephen Curry on the sidelines And the Celtics on the strings, the afternoon snack has become the main event.
Boston lost only three games during the last postseason. He loses a third consecutive in this series, and the Celtics would need the greatest return in the history of the League to continue his defense of the title. No NBA team has overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a series.
“The mentality is 0-0. You don’t even concentrate on that,” said Jalen Brunson of the Knicks Jalen Brunson. “Just focus on the next play, the next quarter and don’t look to the future. Do not look at anything, just concentrate on the task in question and be present.”
Celtics should probably not be worse than tied. They had clues of 20 points in the second half of both games in Boston, but both ended with Mikal Bridges making a robbery to preserve a victory of the Knicks.
There has not been the same drama in the West series. Minnesota ran to an advantage of 13-0 and never lost in his 117-93 victory on Thursday, after Golden State comfortably led most of the game 1 even after Curry was lost due to an injury to the hamstrings.
“I think both teams are really committed to defense,” said Timberwolves coach Chris Finch. “We surely have to get all the easy baskets of the game. I think we will try to discover some other things they are doing, as you do in a series as progressing. Of course, the defense will be huge.”
The problem of Celtics has been their offense. There are 25 percent of the 3 -point range in the series and have averaged only 16.5 points in the fourth quarter. The All-Star Jays Tatum has lost 30 of its 42 attempts to shoot.
“I take full property in the way I have played in this series and I can’t whip anything,” Tatum said. “I need to be better and I hope to be much better.”
When/Where to see: Game 3, 3:30 PM EDT (ABC)
Series: Knicks Lead, 2-0
Betmgm says: Celtics per 5.5
What to know: the Knicks blew a 2-0 advantage in this same round last year, when the Indiana Pacers returned to overcome them in seven games. That is the most recent of 28 times a NBA team has returned from a 2-0 deficit to win a series of seven games. Five of them occurred after the team lost the first two games at home, with the Celtics achieved one of those returns in 2017 against Chicago. Boston had 33-8 on the road in the regular season.
When/Where to see: Game 3, 8:30 PM EDT (ABC)
Series: tied, 1-1.
Betmgm Sportsbook: Timberwolves by 5.5.
What to know: Draymond Green’s temperament is something to see while the series changes to the Chase of San Francisco for the next two games, given the Golden State striker, he was beaten with his fifth technical lack of these playoffs and is two shy of an automatic suspension. Minnesota lost its 16 initial 3 -point attempts in game 1 and finished 5 of 29, but the wolves recovered to shoot 50.6% in general and 16 for 37 in 3s in the game 2. The rotation of the coach of the Warriors Steve Kerr had 14 deep while trying several combinations to see who could fill the void with Curry. The striker Jonathan Kumina, whose role had decreased in the section and did not play against Memphis in the game game or the end of the regular season, made his first eight shots and scored 18 points in 8 of 11 shots in 26 minutes. It will surely be necessary again together with Trayce Jackson-Davis after making the six field goals and had 15 points and six rebounds.
___
AP Dave Campbell sports writers in Minneapolis and Janie McCauley in San Francisco contributed to this report.
