Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla talks with center Al Horford (42) from the sideline as they take on the New York Knicks during game one of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. David Butler II-Imagn Images

Celtics set unwanted playoff record in Game 1 meltdown vs. Knicks

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Renzo Pocholo Salao | Last updated May 5, 2025 11:24 PM ET

The Boston Celtics’ shooting woes reached historic depths Monday in their second-round opener against the New York Knicks.

A Derrick White three gave the Celtics a 75-55 lead over the Knicks midway through the third quarter of Game 1 at TD Garden in Boston, Mass. It was all downhill from there for the home team.

The Celtics shot a frigid 5-of-25 from beyond the arc for the rest of regulation, which allowed the Knicks to force overtime. New York completed the comeback to win 108-105.

The Celtics missed 45 total three-point attempts in Game 1 — the most in NBA playoff history.

The Celtics missed 45 threes tonight.

The most ever in a playoff game. pic.twitter.com/xOwBcvsDBR
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 6, 2025

No team has embodied the phrase “live by the three, die by the three” more than the Celtics over the last couple of seasons.

Boston led the NBA in three-point attempts per game this season (48.2) by a massive margin. The gap between the Celtics and the second-placed Golden State Warriors (42.4) was just as wide as the one that separated the Warriors and the 18th-ranked Milwaukee Bucks (36.6).

When the Celtics have their outside shot falling, they’re borderline unbeatable, as evidenced by their dominant championship run in 2024. But things get ugly when the long-range shots start coming up short, just like they did in Monday’s Game 1 against the Knicks.

The trio of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White combined to shoot 10/41 from distance in the overtime loss.

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

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