On Sunday afternoon in Boston, Jalen Brunson powered the New York Knicks to a decisive 111-89 victory over the Boston Celtics, whose shooting woes were a major factor in the loss. Boston endured an abysmal performance from beyond the arc, finishing just 7-for-41 on three-point attempts—a brutal 17.1 percent that marked their worst shooting night from deep in several seasons.
This sharp decline occurred less than two days after the Celtics overcame a slow start to defeat the Miami Heat, but this time their offense could not find a rhythm. The Celtics’ poor perimeter shooting was a critical element in the loss of momentum during the second half, underscoring their offensive inefficiency against a strong Knicks defense led by Brunson.
Details of the Celtics’ Offensive Breakdown
The Celtics’ 17.1 percent rate from long range was their worst output since December 10, 2021, when they shot similarly poorly in a loss to the Phoenix Suns. Before Sunday’s game, their worst was a 21.6 percent effort against the Utah Jazz back in November. This night, the cold shooting affected almost every Celtics player. Payton Pritchard and Nikola Vučević, both struggling, shot only 1-of-6 from three. Jaylen Brown, a key scorer, missed all four of his attempts beyond the arc, while Luka Garza and Baylor Scheierman also failed to convert multiple tries. Only Derrick White managed a somewhat respectable 3-of-9, and none of his made three-pointers came in the latter half of the game.
Despite this, the outcome wasn’t solely dictated by poor shooting. Brunson’s 31 points on 12-for-21 shooting demonstrated his offensive efficiency. Defensive challenges also played a role, as the Knicks’ Neemias Queta was often forced into difficult situations trying to guard without fouling.
Coach Joe Mazzulla reflected on the pressure the team faced:
“When you play against a great team like them, and you continue to have empty possessions on the offensive end, a good process of execution puts a ton of pressure on your other stuff,”
he said.
“They’re really good at that, whether it’s their shot-making, whether it’s their fouling, whether it’s their offensive rebounds, you can only hold down the fort for so long.”
Nikola Vučević’s Difficult Defensive Assignment
The Celtics’ recently acquired center Nikola Vučević faced a challenging game on Sunday. After a quiet but somewhat helpful debut against the Heat, he struggled more against the Knicks. Defensive pressure from New York led to foul trouble, and Vučević converted just 11 points on 13 attempts while failing to record any assists despite some quality passing.
Integrating Vučević into the Celtics’ lineup has presented difficulties; Boston has experimented with a double-big frontcourt in the past two games without strong results. Meanwhile, there is speculation that Anfernee Simons, traded for Vučević, might have provided more offensive punch on Sunday. Simons’ ability to spark scoring runs was a potential asset the Celtics lacked during this game.
Nevertheless, evaluating Vučević’s impact at this early stage is premature. As Derrick White explained about adjusting to new teams,
“I just understand it’s going to be a process,”
adding,
“Just going to welcome him with open arms and try to help any way I can.”
Knicks Utilize Physicality Against Jaylen Brown
New Knicks player Jose Alvarado capitalized on Brown’s tendency to use his elbows on offense by drawing fouls—often by placing his face in the line of Brown’s shooting motion. Brown’s use of his elbow has been a point of contention in several recent games, sometimes resulting in offensive fouls against him.
In a close situation earlier in the week against the Miami Heat, Brown’s elbow caused contact that earned him an offensive foul, a call the Celtics unsuccessfully challenged. Brown was also assessed a flagrant foul after unintentionally injuring Hawks big man Onyeka Okongwu with his elbow on January 29. Opponents have clearly taken note of this aspect of Brown’s game and are willing to test its limits defensively.
Brown voiced his frustration about the inconsistent officiating surrounding these plays:
“Just because their face is in there, they’re giving them the offensive foul,”
he said.
“I disagree, but we’ve sent clips to the league. They call it 50/50 every time inconsistently.
But a guy shouldn’t just be able to just put his face in there and get an offensive foul if I go up into my normal shot motion. If his face is there or not, that’s on him. But they allow guys to do that. They allow guys to do that to me when I’ve got on the ball. It almost cost us the game last game. We ended up winning. It should’ve been an and-1. Tonight, it was the same thing. Hopefully we find some consistency on it.”
Despite these challenges, Brown finished with 26 points on 11-for-25 shooting, contributing four assists that might have been higher with better shooting from his teammates.
Baylor Scheierman’s Emergence as a Key Contributor
One of the few positives for Boston was the continued strong performance of Baylor Scheierman, who produced a solid all-around stat line with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. Scheierman’s ability to crash the boards, especially defensively, has helped the Celtics secure important rebounds and transition opportunities.
The Celtics’ bench wings have been a revolving cast of contributors, with players like Jordan Walsh, Hugo González, and Josh Minott showing signs of promise at various points in the season. Scheierman appears to be stepping up and carving out a consistent role.
Joe Mazzulla emphasized Scheierman’s defensive impact:
“His rebounding outside of his area is a big one,”
Mazzulla said.
“So whether he’s boxing the guy out or whether he’s on the perimeter, he comes back and crashes defensively and gets those, and so that helps us get out in transition, but I think he’s playing at a great level for us defensively, and really on the rebounding piece on both ends.”
Karl-Anthony Towns Channels Amar’e Stoudemire with Protective Goggles
During the game, ABC’s broadcast highlighted a notable detail: Karl-Anthony Towns, who required 16 stitches over his right eye, sported protective goggles that belonged to former Knicks star Amar’e Stoudemire. Stoudemire famously wore goggles throughout much of his career after a severe detached retina injury in 2009.
The Knicks had a collection of these iconic goggles from Stoudemire’s five-year tenure in New York, and Towns donned them during the first half against the Celtics. However, he removed the eyewear entirely in the second half and is unlikely to adopt them permanently as Stoudemire did.
The playful nod to Knicks history brought a moment of levity amid a tough night for Boston.
Derrick White’s Good-Natured Bet Loss Highlights His Loyal Patriot Fandom
Despite being a devoted Denver Broncos supporter, Celtics guard Derrick White was a good sport after losing a wager to Celtics athletic trainer Nick Sang when the New England Patriots eliminated the Broncos from playoff contention. White honored the bet by arriving at the arena wearing a Patriots jersey and helmet.
Justin Turpin captured the moment:
Derrick White, a diehard Broncos fan, lost a bet to Nick Sang and arrived today in a Patriots jersey and helmet🤣
White himself commented on the experience, saying,
“I’ve moved on, although wearing the jersey and the helmet today kind of brought it back, but I’ve moved on. I just hope it’s an entertaining game.”
He also expressed optimism about the Broncos’ upcoming season, especially with quarterback Bo Nix’s return:
“I’m not, ‘Oh, they beat us.’ I’m not that. I don’t really care who wins. I just hope it’s a good game. I hope it’s entertaining, so that’s really all I’m going for.”
Upcoming Games and Season Outlook for Celtics and Knicks
Both the Celtics and Knicks now share identical records heading into the All-Star break, setting the stage for a pivotal encounter on February 11 against the Chicago Bulls. This game will feature the return of Anfernee Simons to Boston, as well as Nikola Vučević squaring off against his former team.
Following the break, the Celtics will travel west to begin a challenging sequence of road games, starting with a matchup against the Golden State Warriors on February 19. How Boston addresses its offensive struggles and integrates new pieces like Vučević will be critical as the team battles for playoff positioning.
The Knicks, meanwhile, will look to maintain their momentum behind Jalen Brunson, who delivered an outstanding performance on Sunday to lead the way.
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