If fortune really does favor the bold, the Knicks’ pair of stunning comeback road wins against the Celtics this week bode well for the remainder of their Eastern Conference semifinal bout. NBA history is on their side, too, as teams with a 2-0 advantage in a best-of-seven series have advanced nearly 93 percent of the time.
The Knicks, entering Game 3 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden with full momentum and better health, are primed to take a commanding 3-0 lead over the reigning champions and silence even more doubters. But it’s still way too early for any chatter about a potential sweep — comfort is a luxury they’re unwilling to accept.
“Control the controllables, and do everything we can to put ourselves in a position to win,” Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said after Friday’s practice. “If we can do that, we’ll live with the results. Don’t take it for granted, don’t get comfortable. You’ve got to be as desperate as we’ve been these last two games, in Game 3 and on. Never get comfortable with any success. Never too high, never too low.”
While there’s no such thing as style points in the playoffs, the Knicks undoubtedly have to clean up their game on both ends of the court. In spite of their improbable victories — they had never won consecutive playoff games at TD Garden before — both games featured 20-point deficits midway through the third quarter. They were also outrebounded twice.
The Knicks also can’t count on more pitiful three-point shooting from the Celtics, who’ve gone a pitiful 25 percent (25-of-100) from beyond the arc. They can’t expect Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum to keep shriveling up in fourth-quarter crunchtime, or dig another massive hole with inconsistent first-half performances.
Whether or not the first two games have crushed the Celtics’ spirit, the Knicks must realize the numbers aren’t sustainable and the series is far from over. After all, they’ve yet to play their best brand of basketball. The reality that their game can still be elevated could serve as an extra source of motivation. Their foot can’t come off the gas pedal.
“The mentality is 0-0. Don’t even focus on [the series lead]. Focus on the next play, the next quarter,” Knicks captain Jalen Brunson said. “Don’t look ahead, don’t look into anything. Just focus on the task at hand and be present… The game is unpredictable. No matter what you prepare for, there’s going to be things that happen that you’re not really ready for… We’ve got to be locked-in together.”
The Knicks now own home-court advantage, and perhaps an exceptionally raucous Garden crowd will help them buck a trend. While they’ve proven to be road warriors, they finished 27-14 at home during the regular season and lost two of three home games in their first-round series against the Pistons.
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