Magic Johnson Reacts to Historic Celtics News After Loss to Knicks

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt John | Last updated May 6, 2025 5:01 PM ET

The Boston Celtics made history in their Game 1 loss to the New York Knicks. They attempted 60 three-point attempts and missed 45 of them, setting an NBA playoff record in the process.

Boston has built a reputation for being a team that thrives when it hits 3-pointers. The Celtics depend on threes, simply because the math of three being greater than two helps them produce high-level offense. However, their historically bad shooting night resulted in a loss, showing the downside of how dependent they are on this approach.

Naturally, the Celtics have been catching backlash from around the NBA world after their Game 1 loss to New York.

Former Celtics rival and Los Angeles Lakers icon Magic Johnson was among those who noticed the Celtics' problems on Monday night. He called out their strategy after setting the unfortunate NBA record. Johnson called the Celtics out for their dependency on three-pointers and how it factored into what happened in Game 1.

"As for the Boston Celtics…you live by the three, die by the three," he wrote. "They set an NBA Playoff record missing 45 three-pointers."

As for the Boston Celtics…you live by the three, die by the three. They set an NBA Playoff record missing 45 three-pointers.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 6, 2025

Back in Johnson's day, neither the Lakers nor anyone else depended on 3-pointers to make them a contender. The 3-point shot was available in the 1980s, but teams did not utilize floor spacing as much as they do now.

Despite the discussion surrounding this game, if the Celtics had made one more 3-pointer in regulation, they would have beaten the Knicks. As long as it doesn't happen again, Boston has to feel good about its chances in Game 2.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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