The Boston Celtics’ devastating second-round series against the New York Knicks somehow got even worse during Game 4 on Monday. In the midst of blowing yet another double-digit lead to fall behind 3-1, star forward Jayson Tatum went down with a torn Achilles tendon, the team confirmed on Tuesday.
The Celtics did not announce a timeline for Tatum, but he is out for the rest of this season, and will miss the majority, if not all, of next season as well. The Celtics were already facing some tough decisions this summer due to luxury tax constraints, and with Tatum set for a long-term absence, their future is even murkier.
Jayson Tatum suffers torn Achilles: Injury could force Celtics star to miss all of next season in brutal blow
Jack Maloney
There will be plenty of time to discuss where the Celtics go from here, but as much as it may feel like it, this series isn’t officially over. They’ll return home for Game 5 on Wednesday in front of what is sure to be a raucous crowd inside TD Garden. Win that one to force Game 6 back in New York, and all of a sudden the pressure shifts to the Knicks.
The Celtics face an uphill battle to make a 3-1 comeback, but it’s not impossible. Here’s a look at what would need to happen for the Celtics to turn things around.
1. A 3-point barrage
The Celtics live and die by the 3-pointer, and in this series they’ve mostly been dying by it.
They shot 15 of 60 in Game 1, which set a new record for the most missed 3s in a playoff game, then followed that up by going 10 of 40 in Game 2. Their 75 missed 3s in those two contests — both defeats — were the most in a two-game span in postseason history.
In Game 3, everything flipped. They shot 20 of 40 en route to a comfortable win, and appeared to be back in the series.
Game 4 started out much like Game 3, as the Celtics shot 12 of 24 in the first half to build another double-digit lead. Then, they went 6 of 24 in the second half, which, in part, allowed the Knicks to steal another win.
In the Celtics’ lone win this series, they shot 50% from 3 and won by 22. In the Celtics’ three losses this series, they’ve shot a combined 29% from 3 and lost by a combined 12 points. If the Celtics had just made a few open shots at some point along the way, they could easily be up 3-1 themselves, or at the very least tied 2-2.
If the Celtics want to stage a comeback, their best chance is with a 3-point barrage. Making 20-plus 3s in three consecutive games is asking a lot, but it’s not out of the question with the way they get them up. When they get rolling, their volume approach can simply overwhelm teams, as it did in Game 3.
2. Brown steps up
This has been a rough series for Jaylen Brown. He’s averaging 20.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, but is also shooting 37.7% from the field, including 22.6% from 3-point range, and has more turnovers (14) than assists (13).
In order for the Celtics to have any hope of getting up off the mat in this series, they need the Finals MVP version of Brown to show up. That’s much easier said than done, of course, against the Knicks’ scrappy and physical wing defenders who have given him fits all series. It also may not be possible given Brown’s current physical limitations.
Brown has been dealing with a right knee bone bruise and posterior impingement for months, and while he hasn’t missed any games during the playoffs, he clearly has not been his usual self. He doesn’t have his normal burst, which typically makes him one of the best downhill drivers in the league, and his jump shot hasn’t been consistent enough to make up for that.
With Tatum out, the offense is going to run through Brown. If he can somehow summon the best version of himself, the Celtics may not be done just yet.
3. Lock in defensively
The Celtics had the fourth-best defense in the league during the regular season, when they allowed just 110.1 points per 100 possessions. Of the remaining playoff teams, only the Oklahoma City Thunder were better. It’s no surprise, then, that the Thunder and Celtics are first and second, respectively, in defensive rating during the playoffs.
While so much focus has been on the Celtics’ poor shooting in this series, and for good reason, they’ve largely limited an elite Knicks offense. Game 4 was the first time that the Knicks reached 100 points in regulation in this series, and that took some truly heroic shotmaking from Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges in the second half.
For the series, the Knicks have a 108.1 offensive rating, which ranks sixth among the eight teams participating in this round.
Losing Tatum, one of the most versatile defenders in the league, would be a major blow, but the Celtics still have a number of high-level players on that side of the ball, including Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Al Horford. Overall, they’ve defended well enough to be up 3-1 lead in this series, but their offense did not hold up its end.
If the Celtics can lock in defensively and continue to make life difficult for Brunson and Bridges, they may give themselves a chance.