Joe Mazzulla makes it clear Celtics will adapt to whatever Knicks throw

BOSTON — Against the Orlando Magic, the Boston Celtics had two games where they shot fewer than 30 threes. They didn't dip below that mark in all 82 games of the regular season. It was reflective of the two sides' regular-season matchups, in which Boston only attempted 36.7 threes per game. But as they prepare to take on the New York Knicks, the numbers tell a different story, as the Celtics got up 48.3 threes per game against their division rivals.

“I don't love threes, I love great shots,” Joe Mazzulla said after a game against the Philadelphia 76ers in February of 2024. Boston took just 22 threes that game, but they still one. Yet as the Knicks enter their sights, the three-point brigade that worked so well for them throughout the regular season may become prevalent once again.

That's okay with Boston.

"It's the mindset of, you take what the coverage is," Mazzulla said ahead of Game 1 vs. the Knicks on Monday. "So, at the end of the day, there's [are] multiple matchups, coverage recognition, and you have to make the play that makes the most sense vs. the coverage. That's been one of the strengths of the guys from day one.

"It's, how are you being defended? What's the right screen? How do you create the two-on-one? What's the best reading out of that? So, we have to continue to do that, and we'll see different coverages throughout this series."

What's the difference between Knicks and Magic's defense vs. Celtics?

Orlando's entire defense was focused on taking away Boston's three-balls. They pressed up on screens and lived with one-on-one matchups so the Celtics couldn't create two-on-ones easily. The result was a Jayson Tatum master class (and Jaylen Brown picking up the slack in Game 2).

The Knicks, on the other hand, have a very different mentality when it comes to guarding Boston, and it all comes down to the personnel they are able to put on the floor.

The Magic's lineup features a group of guys that Jamahl Mosley is comfortable with guarding anyone on the Celtics. Even when Kristaps Porzingis got guys like Cory Joseph and Gary Harris in the post, the Magic lived with it.

New York has Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. They don't live with those matchups.

Instead, Towns primarily plays drop defense, taking away drives from the Celtics and leaving a ton of kick-out options for the Celtics, especially if Porzingis runs the pick-and-pop. This allows the Celtics room to take way more threes than they were able to get up against a defense like Orlando's.