The Boston Celtics blew a 20-point third-quarter lead in Game 1 against the New York Knicks, losing 108-105 in overtime. Boston missed a playoff record 45 threes in the game, and this led to former rival, Magic Johnson, trolling them.
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Magic posted on X the truth of the Celtics and their overuse of the three-ball.
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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
After the game, Jaylen Brown spoke about the Celtics and their use of the three-point shot.
“We can’t just fire up threes, you know, to break up momentum. You got to get to the free-throw line, get to the paint, get to the basket, hit some free throws,” Brown said.
“And then maybe the next three-pointer feels a little bit better. I felt like we just settled. In reality, you almost got to have a short-term memory. Throw it away. Get ready for Game 2. You don’t have time to let stuff carry over. So we make adjustments and come ready to play.”
The Celtics will have to adjust their gameplay if they want to not only beat the Knicks but repeat as NBA champions. Like Magic said, you truly can live or die by the three if you rely on it too much.
