Breaking Down Celtics’ Game 3 Win Over Knicks: Has Boston Figured It Out?

After two straight games of uncharacteristically cold shooting, Boston erupted in Game 3 to the tune of 20 made three-pointers on 40 attempts, storming past the Knicks for a convincing 115-93 win. The result cut New York’s lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals and silenced a packed Madison Square Garden crowd before it ever had a chance to get involved.

The Celtics built a 31-point cushion at one point and led comfortably throughout, marking a sharp contrast to the shaky outings that began the series. The ball movement returned, the spacing clicked, and the shots finally fell. In other words, Boston stopped missing — and stopped giving the Knicks life in transition.

“We knew we had it in us,” said head coach Joe Mazzulla. “We’ve been through the fire before. This is part of it.”

New York, which thrived on Celtics misses in Games 1 and 2, found far fewer opportunities to run off turnovers or long rebounds. The Knicks have now trailed by 20 or more points in all three games of the series and still haven’t led after the first half or through three quarters.

The biggest question heading into Game 4 is whether New York can keep things tight early– and put Boston in a pressure spot down the stretch. Through three games, we haven’t seen the Knicks test Boston late. If they can finally stay within striking distance, their crunch-time poise could become a factor.

But if Saturday was any indication, the Celtics may have just figured things out.

Game 4 tips Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.