'One-trick pony' Celtics exposed in Game 4 loss

The Celtics had all of 15 assists in their 121-113 loss to the Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday.

In the fourth quarter, Boston's ball movement was even more stagnant, leading to a ton of hero ball and rushed pull-up threes. The Celtics shot 3-of-12 from deep in the final 12 minutes, while the Knicks were more measured in their approach, making 2-of-4 from downtown and attacking the rim for layups and mid-range shots.

After the game, NBA TV's Jalen Rose called the Celtics " a one-trick pony" for relying heavily on pull-up threes instead of putting pressure on the Knicks defense with more ball movement and driving.

"I feel like when I watch Boston play, it's like a one-trick pony," Rose said. "They just launch a three, miss a three, take one further, take one earlier in the shot clock. And they don't always make the defense work. They don't always move the ball side to side, they don't get many layups, they don't do post ups." 

Rose added that the Celtics' offensive philosophy turns their games into a "make-or-miss " affair and that when their shots don't fall, opponents always have a chance to claw back, as evidenced by the Knicks overcoming double-digit leads in all three of their wins thus far. 

Celtics' lack of ball movement

Further to Rose's point, the Celtics rank dead last in the NBA playoffs in passes made per contest, averaging just 235.5 passes through eight games. In comparison, the Pacers, who've been steamrolling opponents with their high-voltage offense, average 338.1 passes, 100 more than the reigning NBA champions. Even the Knicks, who rely heavily on Jalen Brunson's isolation possessions, average 252.7 passes per game. 

To put things in perspective, Indiana has generated 77.2 points per game via assists in the playoffs, while Boston has managed only 53.3. 

In the past, some analysts have suggested that the Celtics turned the volume on the Warriors dynasty's formula of beating teams with threes, which allowed them to capture the 2024 NBA title. However, the key difference was that those Golden State teams consistently ranked in the top three in the league in both assists and passes made per game. 

These Celtics play "accidental" basketball and don't have the IQ level of those Warriors teams, who put constant pressure on defenses with their ball and body movement. Perhaps it's time for the C's to return to the drawing board and reassess their "bombs away" principle, even if the exact philosophy helped them raise Banner No. 18.