Celtics face criticism from NBA legends Magic Johnson, Shaq O’Neal after Game 1 playoff loss to Knicks

After comfortably dispatching the Orlando Magic 4-1 in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Boston Celtics suffered a tough blow in Game 1 of the semifinals. The New York Knicks defeated them 108-105 in overtime at TD Garden, drawing criticism from NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson.

The Celtics had built a 20-point lead in the third quarter, largely thanks to their accuracy from beyond the arc. However, that shooting streak abruptly ended midgame, and instead of adjusting, they continued firing from three-point range. Not only did that strategy cost them the win, but it also set a dubious NBA playoff record for most missed three-pointers in a game, with 45.

“What a comeback victory in overtime for the NY Knicks led by OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson… The Knicks won despite missing 17 free throws!” Johnson wrote on his official X account after the game. “As for the Boston Celtics… you live by the three, die by the three,” said the Los Angeles Lakers legendary point guard, before pointing out the historic low the Joe Mazzulla-led team had reached.

What did Shaq O’Neal say about the Celtics?

Shaquille O’Neal has often been critical of the NBA’s current style of play, dominated by the three-point shot. After Boston’s loss, he highlighted that very issue as a major reason for the Game 1 outcome.

Boston lost 108-105 in overtime to the Knicks in Game 1

“Boston is a fabulous team,” Shaq began on TNT. “But you know, when their superpower is not working, they become regular. And I said that at the beginning of the broadcast. I said, ‘If they’re not hitting their threes, New York has a chance to win.’ And that’s exactly what happened.”

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The four-time NBA champion also took aim at Boston’s lack of in-game adjustment when it became clear their strategy wasn’t working. “You need to have the wherewithal to make that point during the game. Like, ‘Hey man, we’re shooting too many threes,’” the former center said. “You know, I played with a guy that shot a lot. And if we missed two or three in a row, I’d have to look at my guy and be like: ‘Hey, don’t shoot another three. Ever. Get it inside or something else.'”

Jaylen Brown discusses Celtics’ decision-making

Following the loss to the Knicks, Jaylen Brown acknowledged the team needs to reevaluate some of its shot selection and in-game decisions to avoid similar mistakes moving forward. “I think we got to look at it. You know, some of them felt good, some of them felt like we maybe forced the issue. And definitely our rhythm and our timing was a little bit off,” admitted the 2024 Finals MVP. “We got to look at the film and see kind of what happened in that second half.”