Being beaten! The Celtics lost 38 points

Behind the 38-point defeat: The three incredible things of the Celtics and four indisputable facts

In the fierce competition in the NBA, upsets and miracles are always staged inadvertently. On May 17, in the Eastern Conference semi-finals G6, the Knicks defeated the Celtics with a huge score of 119-81 at home, eliminating their opponents 4-2 in total. The Celtics' 38-point defeat has undoubtedly become one of the most shocking events of this season. The three incredible and four indisputable facts contained in it have caused widespread heated discussions among fans and the media.

Three Incredible

1. The humiliating defeat of the giants: The Celtics, this NBA giant with a deep historical heritage and countless brilliant achievements, is the defending champion of last season and is firmly ranked second in the Eastern Conference during the regular season. It was highly expected to reach the top again in the playoffs. However, they had no power to fight back in this critical battle. They lost with such a huge score difference, especially after Tatum was injured and absent, the team seemed to have lost their soul and lost all fighting spirit. Such performance was really shocking and a great shame in team history.

2. The Knicks' amazing outbreak: The Knicks' performance in this game was amazing, and the whole team seemed to have been injected with powerful energy. Brunson, Towns, Bridges and Anunobi scored 20+ points, and Hart even scored a triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Facing the powerful Celtics, they not only did not have any fear, but instead became more and more courageous. They took the initiative from the beginning of the game, and completely suppressed their opponents with excellent team cooperation and tough defense. This performance was completely beyond everyone's expectations.

3. The Eastern Conference playoffs are frequently unpopular: this season's Eastern Conference playoffs can be called a "hotbed of unpopularity". First, the Pacers eliminated the Cavaliers, the number one in the East in the Black Eight, and now the Knicks eliminated the Celtics, the second in the East. The top two in the Eastern Conference were eliminated in the second round, which is extremely rare in NBA history, and also makes the situation in the entire Eastern Conference confusing, completely breaking people's predictions about the playoff trend before the game.

Four indisputable facts

1. The inside defense is useless: the Celtics' inside was completely beaten by the Knicks in this game. Porzingis was in poor combat with injuries, moved slowly, and his ability to protect the frame and rebounds decreased significantly; Horford also grew older and could not keep up with his opponents, and he had loopholes on the defensive end. The Knicks took it out in the interior, and the Celtics lost 19 rebounds in the game, and the penalty area was even scored 24 points. The loss of the inside became an important reason for the team's disastrous defeat.

2. The head coach's tactical command is inappropriate: Young coach Mazula's tactical arrangement and on-site command in this game have been criticized. Facing the Knicks' defensive strategy, he failed to make effective adjustments in time. His offensive tactics were monotonous and he was overly dependent on individual players, causing the team's offense to stagnate. On the defensive end, no way to limit the opponent, and the substitution decision at critical moments is also confusing. His coaching ability was greatly questioned in this game.

3. Veterans' condition has declined seriously: Veterans such as Holiday and Horford were once important contributors to the Celtics' championship, but their condition has declined significantly this season. Holiday made only 1 of 8 shots in this game, and lost 5 shots outside the three-point line, scoring only 4 points; Horford also performed mediocrely and it was difficult to give the team enough support on both offense and defense. Their high salary contrasts sharply with their sluggish performance and becomes a heavy burden on the team.

4. Brown has difficulty in becoming a leader: when Tatum is absent due to injury and the team needs Brown to stand up and take the banner of leader, he failed to do it. Brown made only 5 of 17 shots in the whole game, with an extremely low shooting percentage. He made frequent mistakes at critical moments, and his mentality fluctuated. This fully exposes his lack of ability to control the game at key moments and to control the game, and there is still a big gap compared to the real team leader.

This crushing defeat was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Celtics, but it also sounded the alarm for them. The team needs to reflect carefully during the offseason and adjust and strengthen the exposed problems. Otherwise, there will still be many difficulties in returning to the peak next season. With this victory, the Knicks returned to the Eastern Conference Finals after 25 years, and their performance also made people look forward to this team.