The advantage of 20 points is gone, where does the Celtic lose? Five major "roots" are exposed, and the loss is not accidental

On the stage of G2 in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals of the NBA Playoffs on May 8, 2025, the Celtics originally held a 20-point lead, but were shockingly reversed by the Knicks and lost 90-91. They fell behind 0-2 in the series and fell into a desperate situation. Behind this failure, there are many deep problems.

First of all, the collective downturn of core players and the sharp decline in offensive efficiency are the key factors for the Celtics' failure. Tatum made only 5 of 19 shots in the game, scoring only 13 points, plus or negative value -5. In the critical final quarter, he scored 4 points with only free throws and dunks, and his final kill was ruthlessly blocked by Bridges. Brown scored 17 points in the first half, showing strong offensive firepower, but only scored 3 points in the second half, and made 0 of 4 shots in the final quarter. The double-Tanhua combination made 13 of 42 shots, with a shooting percentage of only 30.9%, 3 of 12 shots from three-pointers, and a total of 4 points in the final quarter. When the team needed to score the most, they failed to stand up and could not provide the team with a stable offensive output.

Secondly, over-reliance on three-pointers and the cold feel made the Celtics' offense fall into a quagmire. He made 10 of 40 three-pointers in the game, shooting as low as 25%. Head coach Mazula insists on the "magic ball theory", which makes the team's three-point shooting account for too high. In the critical round of the final quarter, the players were still obsessed with shooting on the outside instead of choosing a more reasonable offensive method, missing the excellent opportunity to turn the tables again and again.

Furthermore, the inside defense is full of loopholes and the rebound is out of control, which makes the Celtics passive on both offense and defense. Horford had no choice but to face Towns' strong attack. He only scored 4 points on 2 of 11 shots, and was scored by Towns 21 points and 17 rebounds. Among them, Towns' 11 frontcourt rebounds were converted into second offensive points many times. Porzingis came on as a substitute after his comeback, contributing only 8 points, and lacked the ability to protect the frame in the interior.

Then, the offensive power outage and key mistakes in the last quarter directly led to the Celtics' defeat. Under the good situation of leading by 20 points in the third quarter, the Knicks scored 21-2 in the final quarter. In the last 6 minutes, the Celtics scored only 4 points, made consecutive shots, and the offensive rhythm was completely disrupted by the Knicks. At the same time, the team made frequent key mistakes, Tatum made three mistakes in the whole game, Brown made six mistakes, and Holiday was also fouled by Brunson in the last quarter, which directly led to the score being overtaken.

In addition, coach tactical adjustments and insufficient on-the-spot response were also a cause of the Celtics' big defeat. After the Knicks overtook the final quarter, the Celtics failed to call timely to adjust their tactics, resulting in a chaotic offensive rhythm and the players were at a loss on the court. The rotation strategy is also controversial. Porzingis has too little time to play as a substitute, Horford has been targeted by Towns for a long time, and players such as Prichard on the bench have failed to provide stable firepower support and cannot stand up when the team needs it. The Celtics' failure this time is the result of the interweaving of many adverse factors. Problems such as core players' status, three-point dependence, insider shortcomings, final quarter collapse and coach command are fully exposed. If they are not adjusted in time, they may be eliminated early in this round of series, and their dreams of winning the championship will gradually fade away.