Boston Remains Favorite Despite 2-0 Deficit in Series vs Knicks

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00:00The incredible thing is Boston, through two games, have been nowhere near their best.

00:04And yet in both of these games, they've had 20-point leads.

00:08And yet they are down 0-2 in this series.

00:11This has been...

00:13The way these games have gone

00:15is why Boston sitting as a favorite still to win this series

00:20is not egregious.

00:22I do not think that the books should be ashamed of themselves

00:25for disrespecting the Knicks.

00:27I don't think that's what we're seeing.

00:29As someone who picked New York to win the series,

00:31I'm not going to jump on this desk in victory lap.

00:34I told you, I told you, it's over, it's over.

00:36The pick was Knicks in seven.

00:38I still very much so think this could get to a seventh game.

00:42I still expect this to get to at least six,

00:45despite the fact that two of, if there are three more games,

00:49will be in Madison Square Garden.

00:52But the way these games have gone for Boston,

00:57while it leaves this glimmer of optimism,

01:00we just got to clean up some stuff,

01:03it also makes it all that more damning.

01:07That the one thing I know I've been correct about in this series is,

01:11if you can just drag him into those deep waters, Knicks,

01:15Brunson will take you home and Boston will be unsteady.

01:18And, well, Brunson keeps taking him home,

01:23and the Celtics keep trying to figure out if there's a mercy rule.

01:25Hey, we were up 20.

01:26Why are we still playing basketball?

01:28Please leave us out of this whole thing.

01:30Their offense has been awful through two games.

01:35The three-point shooting, JY, so much of the story.

01:40Before we get to tonight's game or today's game,

01:43what is your biggest takeaway with the Knicks up 2-0 in this series?

01:48To hell with analytics.

01:49To hell with analytics.

01:51I've never been an analytics guy in regards to,

01:54and I've had so many talks and arguments with my friends in the college basketball

02:00about this whole thing of three or key.

02:05You're seeing it now because of when you are constantly living at the three-point line.

02:13If that shot doesn't go down and you don't have a mid-range game to get to

02:19and a driving game to get to, leads can evaporate fast,

02:25especially if the other team isn't doing that.

02:30And I look at Boston's play of, they just, it's too pretty ball.

02:36You say, you know, drag them to the, you know, whatever you want to call it.

02:41They're making, the Knicks are making this a street fight once it comes to the fourth quarter.

02:44And Boston does not have the capability yet to punch back.

02:50And you look at the fact of, and let's be honest, folks,

02:53the Knicks are up two games to none, and they've been at times arguably worse offensively than Boston.

03:02Their game two performance was the worst offensive rating for the New York Knicks the entire season.

03:07But if they get you in the fourth quarter, and they get it within five,

03:14as Boston starts to tighten up, Jalen Brunson just starts to get going.

03:21And then you lean on the two wing defenders, a.k.a. Wingstop, OG and Mikel,

03:28and they start to lock down the Boston perimeter guys,

03:32and Boston doesn't have to know where to go.

03:34I want to see personally how Joe Mazzula,

03:37does he throw analytics out the window, Tom,

03:41and change his approach more downhill, more screening action,

03:45and be willing to let these guys take pull-up jumpers

03:47to mix up their offense a little bit better.

03:50So,

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