Down 2-0, the Celtics go to New York with more questions than answers

<

div id=”article-content” data-v-6f01d178=”” data-v-2cc5ffd6=””>

–>

While in the middle of falling in December and January, in which Boston Celtics They lost almost as many games as they won, they called patience.

These were just a bunch of long season. Championship hangover. Pip.

“I believe we will peak at the right time,” Kristaps Porziģģis He said on January 23 before the Celtics closed the season, winning 19 of the last 22 games, convincing their doubts that they know how to involve it when counting.

But after the Celtics blows their second straight lead from 20 points to New York Knicks to Loses the game 2 From their playoff series in the second round on Wednesday, 91-90, it is time to ask ourselves if Celtics’s questions were more pronounced than they assumed.

Celtics’s playing in game 2 is not just Deja Vu from Game 1, when a 20-point lead to fall to overtime, 108-105; There was a symbolically bigger problem.

Celtics break through great advantages and crash in situations with crossing, which would be understandable for a young team not a couple of superstar in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brownwho played together for eight years, playing the playoffs in each of these seasons and winning the championship last year.

Indeed, this is a repeated mental failure, which is the main problem of the team that knows that the marriage marriage is incredibly thin. The last post-season never lagged behind the series and never lost more than one game on the way to running 16-3.

<!–>

So, why is this happening?

“I’m not sure,” said Brown, who had 20 points, six rebounds and six turns. “We took refuge from great starts. We were guarding, we played physically, with energy today. For the beginning of the fourth quarter, I thought we had four or five great looks that didn’t enter, so it may have affected us. But what was done was done. Now we have the opportunity to see what we are made of.”

The issue for Celtics in this series was the fourth quarter. In Games 1 and 2 they shot a combined 9-za-45 (20 percent) from the field and 4-for-24 (16.7) outside the arch in the last 12 minutes.

On Wednesday, Brown was left with no result in the fourth quarter, while Tatum was 1-for-5 from the field.

In the meantime, Knicks saw that the Celts had hit the wall and used it. Mikal Bridges He scored all 14 of his points in the last quarter. In the last seconds he made the theft of Tatum Sknics Up, 91-90, preventing the Celtics to fire the potentially winning shot.

Jalen Brunsonwho won the Clutch of the Year award award, showed why he was credited with the honor, achieving all six Knicks points for the last two minutes.

Now Knicks have been two wins from their first appearance in the final of the conference since 2000.

And the ruling champions are on ropes, staring at a hole of 0-2 with 3 and 4 games in New York.

Melissa Rohlin is Nba Writer for Fox Sports. Earlier covered the league for Sports Illustrated, Los Angeles Times, News Group for Bay Area and San Antonio Express-nws. Follow her on Twitter @Melisarohlin.

Follow Follow your favorites to personalize your Fox Sports Experience

Boston Celtics

New York Knicks

National Basketball Association

–>

Get more than the National Basketball Federation Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more