The Boston Celtics are entering Game 3 against the New York Knicks down 0-2 in the series after dropping the first two games of the series at home. Boston allowed New York to come back from large leads in both games, and it has resulted in them now being in a rough situation moving forward.
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Much like in Game 1, the Celtics took their foot off the gas, and the Knicks were able to capitalize on the situation. Now the Celtics are heading to New York down two games and will need to figure out a way forward.
One of the biggest moments from Game 2 came toward the end of the game when Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla decided not to call a timeout prior to the final possession for Boston. The team proceeded to have star Jayson Tatum attempt a poor shot, and it resulted in the Knicks getting the win.
When asked if he has regrets over the decision, Mazzulla didn't hesitate in his answer. The Celtics coach is sticking with his call not to call a timeout.
"Absolutely not, no regret", he said.
#Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla was asked if he has any regret about not calling a timeout with 12 seconds left in the game in Game 2 vs. the #Knicks…
— Kayla Burton (@Kay_Breezy22) May 9, 2025
“Absolutely not, no regret.”
-on @985TheSportsHub
Mazzulla also explained his decision, defending his action.
"Had one [timeout] left, got a good look in the exact same play 20 seconds earlier," said Mazzulla. "Tried to execute the exact same thing, they did a better job of their lower pick-up point and we weren't able to get the advantage that we had on the last Tatum dunk. Good full-court setting, they subbed out [Karl-Anthony] Towns, weren't able to sub out Brunson. Had action there, just didn't execute."
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For the Celtics, the first two games of the series have shown a side of them that normally hasn't come out. Boston is normally a very disciplined team, but against the Knicks, the wheels have started to fall off.
The Celtics are facing a tough hole entering Game 3, but they still believe this series is far from over, where things stand.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis Offers Brutal Health Update After Game 2
For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, head on over to Boston Celtics on SI.
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