Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Boston Celtics Find New NBA Playoff History Low in Lackluster Performance vs Knicks

The Celtics set a new NBA playoff record during the struggle in shooting from 3-point range.

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics produced their one of the worst performances in the NBA playoffs when they suffered an overtime defeat against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the conference semifinals. The defending champions blew a 20-point, third-quarter lead to lose the series opener 108-105 on Monday night. It was the first time when Boston lost a playoff game after taking a 20-point lead since play-by-play era.

The Knicks outscored the Celtics 55-39 in the second half to force the game in the overtime. New York went on a 8-2 run in overtime to close the game with Mikal Bridges’s buzzer-beating steal. The Celtics set a new NBA playoff record during the struggle in shooting from 3-point range.

Also Read: NBA Playoffs Celtics vs Knicks Game 1: New York Drops One of Their Biggest Playoff Comebacks to Stun Defending Champions in Overtime

Boston Celtics’s Poor 3-Point Shooting Sets NBA Playoff Record

Boston Celtics, who held a 20-point lead in the beginning of the second half, missed ten straight 3-pointers in third quarter. Their star player Jaylen Brown was 1-of-10 on threes in the game. The defending champions went 15-of-60 on 3-pointers, the most ever taken in a playoff game. Boston set the NBA record for most missed threes in a playoff game with 45.

The Boston Celtics’ 45 missed threes tonight are the MOST ever in a playoff game, per @FlyByKnite pic.twitter.com/IJ7OGZHW2s
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 6, 2025

Celtics surpassed the Timberwolves’ record of 40 missed threes. Minnesota set the record five days back against the Lakers in a 103-96 win. Miami Heat comes third in the tally with 39 missed three-pointers and this record was also set during this year’s playoffs.

The Celtics were 3-of-18 in the fourth and overtime. Their worst 3-point shooting helped the Knicks to take control of the game. Heading to the final quarter, Boston’s three-point shooting stood at 28.6% from 42 attempts. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum went 4-of-15 on 3s and shot 7-for-23 from the floor.

The Celtics shot 35.1% from the floor compared to the Knicks’ 42.5%. New York were also impressive in 3-point shooting as they made two more 3-pointers (17) than the Celtics on 23 fewer attempts. Boston was 9-of-34 on 3s after halftime. The reigning NBA champions averaged 21 3-pointers per game against the Knicks in regular-season.

The Celtics are also the first team to attempt 60 three-pointers in a postseason game. They broke the Rockets’ record of 58 attempted threes in 2020 first-round playoff game. Boston also surpassed their previous record of 55 attempted 3s against the Bucks in Game 7 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

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Gulshan Sharma

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.