Celtics Spark Excitement with Revival—But a Dark Threat Looms Ahead

The whole idea that the New York Knicks could capitalize and deliver what might’ve been a decisive blow to the Boston Celtics after stealing two jaw-dropping comeback victories on enemy turf? Yeah, that was always a stretch. The Celtics, in classic Houdini style, had lured the Knicks into a mirage of hope—making those rabid Madison Square Garden fans believe their team might finally roar to life. But nope, that was more a clever bait-and-switch than a genuine shift in momentum.

Honestly, it’s becoming a bit of a rerun, right? Here’s the reigning champs, the Celtics, seemingly tossing new hurdles in their own path as they chase down a second consecutive title—like thrill junkies chasing yet another rush. “Watch us hush out 20,000 noisy New York fans in a blink,” they taunted, and boy, did they deliver. Just about twenty minutes into Game 3, Boston showed exactly how serious they were about reeling this series back under control—and how lackadaisical they’d been on their home court.

With a commanding 115-93 dismantling of the Knicks, Boston made it clear: no more 20-point meltdowns or heartbreaking losses. Yet, even after such a dismantling, the Celtics trail 2-1 and know full well Monday’s game is a must-win. Fail that, and history might not favor the defending champs, potentially marking the third straight early exit by a reigning NBA title holder.

Still, put a half-focused Celtics team on the floor, and you’ll probably see more mayhem than magic. Saturday’s display—20 triples, choking off Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, and a spark plug in Payton Pritchard draining five of those threes for 23 points—felt like classic Boston postseason grit. A reminder that when they click on all cylinders, this team is a nightmare to face—even in the Garden.

LEARN MOREComing into the game, Tatum has played 45 playoff games with Mazzulla as head coach, and eight of his average 20 shot attempts per night have come from the 3-point line.It’s clear the Celtics won’t do much switching up, or give too much oxygen to even valid criticism. Being themselves should be enough to beat the Knicks in the long run, and they hope it’s enough for when things get undeniably tougher.Advertisement

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Advertisement“You gotta beat us four times, that’s what it comes down to,” Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said. “Not twice, not once, not three, you gotta win four games. So it’s a lot of basketball to be played.”Advertisement“For me, it’s just a sense of joy that I played with, right? You know, coming into a game angry face and mad at the world. That’s not who I am,” Tatum said. “That’s not when I play my best. So I always say, you got to be the same person when things are going great and when things aren’t going great. You can’t switch up.”