Charles Barkley And Shaquille O'Neal Agree Game 3 Is A 'Must-Win' For The Knicks Despite A 2-0 Series Lead

Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal are rarely on the same page about anything. But somehow, when it comes to the Knicks' series vs. the Celtics, the are both agreeing that it's a must-win game for New York. After the thrilling Game 2 win at the TD Garden for the Knicks, Barkley and O'Neal spoke their mind about the upcoming game in Madison Square Garden.

Shaq initially claimed, "They're up two, now for the Knicks, don't get comfortable. It's a must-win for Boston, but it's also a must-win for the Knicks. If you want to put serious pressure on the champs, Game 3 is a must-win for the Knicks."

Barkley responded by recalling his experience being in the Celtics' shoes, “Let me take that for a second, he is 100% correct. I’m one of the few people in the world who have been in this situation twice. I said I’ve been in this situation twice. We played the Lakers when we were the No. 1 seed in the West, and lost the first two games at home in a five-game series. And I remember telling the guys, all we got to do is get the first one, then the pressure switches back to them.”

Then Barkley recalled the time he was in the Knicks' shoes in 1994 and 1995. He said, “Also with Kenny, when we won the first two games in Houston, I remember telling the guys, we can not go back to Houston 2-2… I said we’ve got to win Game 3, and in both of those instances, what Shaq said, Game 3 is a must-win. This gon’ sound stupid. Game 3 is a must-win for the Knicks, because Game 4, Boston’s got a better team, they’ve been up 20, but I’m telling you, been in that situation twice, you’ve got to win that third game. And I knew, I still thought we were going to win…it actually flips the mental picture.”

How Knicks Can Ensure A Game 3 Win At Home

Like Barkley said, if the Knicks let Game 3 slip through their fingers, then it's just a matter of one win in Game 4 for the Celtics to regain home-court advantage. If the Knicks want to secure their lead, Game 3 at home is a must-win for them. According to Magic Johnson, the Lakers legend, Karl Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges were pivotal in the Knicks' comeback against the Celtics. 

Bridges scored all of his 14 points in the final quarter of the game. This helped the Knicks rally back from a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter of the game. Similarly, these three players will be crucial for the Knicks to remove some pressure from Jalen Brunson's shoulders and facilitate a Game 3 win. The common saying in basketball is that defense wins championships. If the Knicks want to have any chance of winning it all this season, then they will have to keep up their defensive pressure like they did today with Bridges, Anunoby, and Hart.