Final: Knicks 91, Celtics 90 - Another late collapse puts Boston in 0-2 hole

(1) BOSTON CELTICS vs. (3) NEW YORK KNICKS

Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 2 (Knicks lead 1-0)

TD Garden, 7p.m. - TNT

Line: Celtics -10.5

INJURIES

BOSTON

PROBABLE: Kristaps Porzingis (illness)

DOUBTFUL: Sam Hauser (ankle)

NEW YORK

NONE

THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR

1. Establishing Porzingis: I’d like to see some set plays for Porzingis early in the game to get him going. The Celtics should try to get him going to the rim for some easy ones like they did in Orlando and hope that gets him going. 

More than anything, they need him on the floor and in good spirits. He needs to be a threat. One thing we didn’t really talk much about in Boston’s Game 1 collapse was how having Luke Kornet on the floor took away driving lanes. It made it tougher to drive with Kornet rolling into the teeth of the Knicks defense. 

So get Porzingis going early and hope that it jump starts his production. 

2. Generating good 3s vs. taking good 3s: The Celtics can say they liked the looks they got in Game 1, but I think they can do better. 

Yes, the looks were good. In a vacuum, you can put up the still shot of each Celtic taking a shot and say “that’s a good look,” but the process of getting that look is important. The Celtics need to drive even if the lane all the way to the hoop isn’t there. Force the Knicks to help and make a decision from there. 

It won’t always happen, but as long as they protect their dribble they can come out and reset. But that also means starting the offense earlier in the clock so they can give themselves a chance to regroup. Starting with :10 on the shot clock means the first push has to result in a shot, which makes it easier to defend. 

The Celtics need to start their offense earlier so they can run through their progressions, reset if they have to, and find the best shot possible … especially drive-and-kick 3-pointers. 

3. Defensive focus: The most damning thing Joe Mazzulla can say about his team is that they lost because of opponent tendencies. That's a lack of focus and preparation. 

You can say what you want about Mazzulla as a coach, but you can never say he’s not prepared. He’s as meticulous as it gets, so admitting that the Knicks scored on plays Boston should have anticipated and should have stopped is a basketball sin. 

Play more disciplined, focused basketball and win this game easily.

Follow along with my thoughts as the game goes on. They’ll show up below and in the comments section, so hop in and share your opinion as well.