Knicks’ Mikal Bridges makes ‘human nature’ admission about Game 3 loss to Celtics

The Knicks put forth their worst defensive effort so far this series. New York confusingly played more drop coverage than it did in Games 1 and 2, specifically with starting center Karl-Anthony Towns. Not getting up on the Celtics’ shooters allowed them to catch a rhythm, which is the norm for this group on the road. Boston finished this regular season with an incredible 33-8 record away from home, and this form has carried on into the playoffs.

In addition, the Celtics tried to get Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday the ball in the post early on, which collapsed New York’s defense and got even more open looks from behind the arc. The Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed ultimately shot 20/40 from three with several stars chipping in. Head coach Tom Thibodeau will likely adjust the defensive game plan to ensure Boston stays on its toes and does not maintain this rhythm in Game 4. However, one of the headline concerns from this game, and really from New York’s playoff run so far, was the lackluster offensive display.

The Knicks have been out of rhythm on this end of the court most of the playoffs. Saturday night was not different as they shot 40% from the field, 20% from behind the arc, and missed eleven free throws. Several times during the game, Boston had a higher three-point percentage than New York’s free-throw percentage. As good as the Knicks’ defense has been for most of this series, they cannot rely on dragging the Celtics into the mud to win two more games.

This franchise brought in players like Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns to keep pace with explosive offenses like Boston’s. However, this group has looked disjointed several times, like past Knicks teams in the playoffs. There’s not just one culprit for this trend, as several players struggled today. Yet, from a big picture standpoint, New York is not winning this series unless it shows another gear on this end. Mikal Bridges and company’s pride and resolve will ultimately be tested on Monday night. The Knicks are still in a very good spot to win this series, but as shown this afternoon, things can get out of hand quickly.