3 reasons you can’t blame the Boston Celtics’ Game 7 loss on Jayson Tatum’s ankle injury
By Eric Fritts
Reason no. 2: Boston Celtics’ shot selection
It’s no secret that the Boston Celtics lived and died by the 3-pointer these playoffs. Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals was a rare instance of the team dragging out a win while shooting terribly from long distance (20%). Game 7 gave similar stats, with the Celtics shooting 21.4% on 42 attempts.
3-point shooting is fine. It’s not a problem when the shots are falling, and even when they aren’t at times. But it has turned into a problem not only when the shots aren’t falling but also when the team refuses to try something else in dire situations. This game isn’t an isolated event either. In 2018, the Boston Celtics shot themselves out of a game-seven loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In this season overall, the Celtics averaged 31.6 percent from three in losses, and 40.3% in wins.
That isn’t to say that this team doesn’t have talent. Shooting over 40% en route to 57 wins is impressive. But, keep in mind that is spread out over 82 games. In Game 7, there is no more time to hope things will balance out. The shooting percentage is just as likely not to revert back to the mean, as it is to stay where it is.
Yes, a healthy Tatum would probably have helped things. He probably would have attempted more than 13 field goals and helped the offense get better looks. But it’s not like the Celtics weren’t getting open shots from the 3-point line either. Per the NBA’s tracking data, 35 of Boston’s three-point attempts were considered open (closest defender 4-6 feet) or wide open (closest defender 6+ feet). On which, the team shot 28 and 20 percent respectively.
If this were the regular season, it would be reasonable to say to keep shooting. But in a do-or-die game seven, the team has to be willing to try and find something else.