Boston Celtics SIMPLE strategy to beat New York Knicks | ONE PLAYER they're targeting

Summary

Locked On Celtics Podcast Summary

Episode Date: May 12, 2025
Host: John Karalis (Boston Sports Journal)
Guest: Tom Westerholm
Episode Focus:
Analyzing the Boston Celtics’ playoff series against the New York Knicks—breaking down the team’s shooting, Joe Mazzulla’s timeout usage, the strategy against Mitchell Robinson, and why the series comes down to making shots.

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the Celtics’ playoff performance against the Knicks after Game 3. John Karalis and Tom Westerholm focus on the “simple” core reason behind the Celtics’ fate in the series: shot-making. They examine coaching decisions, specifically Joe Mazzulla's approach to timeouts, the targeted strategy of fouling Mitchell Robinson, and the lack of superstar dominance so far. Throughout, the hosts keep things candid and analytical, reflecting on why perception of the series may be out of alignment with reality, and previewing what it will take for Boston to take control.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Series Hinges on Shot-Making

[02:20–11:56]

• Karalis opens: Many postgame reactions have overdramatized the Celtics' struggles, ignoring underlying context. Despite losing two games, Boston has built 20-point leads in all three games.
  • “They went up 20 points now in all three games. And it's just because the Celtics were sloppy, lazy... in the first two fourth quarters that they're down 2–1. But they were a few made shots away from being up 3–0.” (05:06–05:37, John Corrales)
• Westerholm counters: The series distills down to basic shot-making, not just exotic strategies or coaching.
  • "It's almost frustrating trying to analyze this... If they make shots, they win games. And then game three was just like, yeah, they made shots and they won the game." (07:41–08:23, Tom Westerholm)
• Both hosts agree: While live-ball turnovers and marginal plays matter, the Celtics’ inability to simply hit expected shots in Games 1 and 2 was decisive. In Game 3, normal shooting returned—and so did control.

Notable Quotes

• "The problem, especially in game two, was Celtics miss. Knicks come down and score. The Celtics come down and are like, okay... it's not going great. We got to do something. I feel like the Celtics in Game 2 fell very much into reacting to the moment." (08:36–09:30, John Corrales)
• "You just gotta not... yeah, I mean, yeah, make your shots. Make some shots. Any reasonable amount of threes. Make that and then don't melt down..." (11:26–11:56, Tom Westerholm)

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2. Joe Mazzulla’s Timeout Usage: Why It Looked Different

[11:56–21:46]

• It was widely observed that coach Joe Mazzulla managed timeouts better in Game 3. Karalis unpacks why:
  • Early Celtics scoring runs forced New York to burn two first-quarter timeouts, freeing Boston to save extra timeouts for later and providing flexibility.
• Strategic timeout management and the mechanics behind it are often unnoticed by fans—but are well understood by coaches.
  • "When you come out strong... you now give yourself more leeway... If things start to get dicey, you got a couple extra timeouts to play with." (14:37–17:11, John Corrales)
• Westerholm: Often, criticism of coaching (esp. on timeouts) misses this behind-the-scenes nuance.
  • "When you’re watching an NBA game, the NBA coach has a pretty good handle on the mechanics of what is happening. If you're noticing something, I promise you the coach has noticed it..." (17:11–17:49, Tom Westerholm)

Notable Quotes

• "Joe didn’t just remember how to coach—he just had a team that hit shots and went nuts and put them in a position to have a little bit of leeway." (20:41–21:26, John Corrales)
• "Even [if] he got outcoached doesn’t matter. The Celtics are still up 3–0 if they make one or two more three-pointers." (21:26–21:46, Tom Westerholm)

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3. The Mitchell Robinson Foul Strategy: Mental Impact

[25:35–30:12]

• Karalis highlights how intentionally fouling Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (a poor free throw shooter) has paid off—Robinson’s confidence seems shattered, which impacts not just his shooting but the Knicks’ rotation.
  • "He is extraordinarily demonstrative about like he is very upset that he’s not hitting these free throws... every miss seems to completely decimate his confidence." (25:42–26:33, John Corrales)
• Westerholm admits initial skepticism about putting NY in the bonus, but after seeing Robinson’s 4-for-12 from the line and visible frustration, calls it “an unbelievable rate of return."
  • "In a game that the Knicks lost by 22, he was minus three. Yet again, his plus minus is really holding up and, you know, getting him off the floor, yeah it does matter." (27:31–27:56, Tom Westerholm)
• Both hosts note that Robinson’s emotional reaction gives Mazzulla the green light to keep fouling him; Thibodeau will likely have to adjust rotations to minimize exposure.
  • "That's like a gazelle on the plains being like 'oh my god, my broken leg.' ... I hope nobody eats me..." (29:06–29:56, John Corrales)

Notable Quotes

• "Joe must be loving this. Joe seeing that reaction—Mr. Mind Games—he's gonna foul him every time." (26:48–27:01, John Corrales)
• "It's insane to watch somebody who is this bad at free throws at the NBA level... I guarantee you he [Robinson] is out there getting free throws up [in practice]." (28:42–28:56, Tom Westerholm)

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4. Waiting for a Superstar Performance

[30:12–35:56]

• Noting the lack of a true “superstar” breakout (from Tatum, Brown, or Brunson) so far, the hosts discuss whether the series will be defined by role players or if a big game is coming.
  • "No superstar has dominated... I don't know what's going on, but at what point do you think we can expect... is it going to happen?" (30:12–31:38, John Corrales)
• Westerholm sees Game 4 as a prime opportunity for Tatum to deliver that signature moment, especially if the Celtics can keep Robinson out and create driving lanes.
  • "Game 4 in Madison Square Garden... that's a big superstar moment for him." (33:21–33:24, Tom Westerholm)
• Removing Robinson (via foul trouble or strategy) is seen as the clearest path to opening things up for Boston’s best players.
  • Karalis: “Simply put, attack Karl-Anthony Towns, avoid the step backs, go at him, force him to foul... then put Mitchell Robinson in the game and foul him.” (35:25–35:42)

Notable Quotes

• "Beating the Knicks on paper is very easy. You just gotta go do it." (35:56, Tom Westerholm)

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5. Context, Perception, and What Should Happen Next

[36:04–end]

• The hosts reflect: If the Celtics had closed 4th quarters in Games 1 or 2, the story would be “routine dominance” and little would be made of any offensive struggles.
  • "They should be. This should be a 3–0 series lead... you probably would have won each game by 10... No one would have said anything about the Celtics' offense." (36:10–36:28, John Corrales)
• They close with trademark humor: Karalis’ chair breaks, but he “powers through for you.”

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Important Timestamps & Segments

• 02:20 – 11:56: Why the series is all about making shots, not advanced strategy
• 11:56 – 21:46: Deep-dive on Mazzulla’s timeout usage and why extra timeouts mattered
• 25:35 – 30:12: Targeting and mentally breaking Mitchell Robinson at the free throw line
• 30:12 – 35:56: Will any superstar take over? How Robinson’s absence opens things up for Tatum/Brown
• 36:04 – End: How minor events reshape the series narrative and confidence in Boston’s ultimate edge

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• "If they make shots, they win games." (08:23, Tom Westerholm)
• "Joe didn't just remember how to coach—he just had a team that hit shots and put them in a position to have a little bit of leeway." (21:26, John Corrales)
• On Robinson: "That's like a gazelle on the plains being like, 'Oh my god, my broken leg... I hope nobody eats me.'" (29:06, John Corrales)
• "Beating the Knicks on paper is very easy. You just gotta go do it." (35:56, Tom Westerholm)

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Takeaway Summary

Bottom Line:
The hosts drive home that the Celtics’ issues and solutions are simple: shoot as expected and they win. Tactical conversations about timeouts and coaching only surface because of missed shots. The strategy of targeting Mitchell Robinson at the free throw line has paid psychological and rotational dividends for Boston. While no star has yet seized a game, the door remains open—especially if Boston continues exploiting Knicks’ vulnerabilities and sticks to their superior shot quality. The episode demystifies fan narratives, doubles down on process-oriented analysis, and concludes with optimism (and levity) about the Celtics’ position going forward.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This summary equips you with the core insights: the single biggest factor is shot-making; Mazzulla’s game management is practical and sound; Mitchell Robinson is a strategic focal point; and the Celtics retain a clear edge if they execute the basics. You’ll understand both the X’s and O’s—and the emotion—driving the series so far.

Transcript

[John Corrales]

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You can be there live for the biggest moments. Touchdown and catch. History in the making. Candy.

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[John Corrales]

We live for live streaming now. Why the series continues to just come down to who's making shots and Joe Missoula using timeouts. I'll explain why he was able to use more of them in game three right now on the Locked on Celtics podcast. Huh?

[Tom Westerholm]

Yep, yep.

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[John Corrales]

Hey there. Welcome back to the Lockdown Celtics podcast right here on the Lockdown podcast network where it's your team every day and I got you every Monday through Friday bonus podcasts when they play on weekends. So I had a bonus podcast if you missed it yesterday, Saturday into Sunday. So make sure you're subscribed to get that directly to your device. You would have known that I've already done it if you had been subscribed. So do that. Watch the show on YouTube, get into the comments section, let me know what you're thinking there. I'm John Corrales. I'm a beat writer for Boston Sports Journal. I've been covering the team for about 20 years now and I've written a couple books on the Celtics. So I've got a long, I think, depth of knowledge when it comes to the team. Today's show brought to you by Monarch Money. Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use the code locked on [e-mail] for 50% off your first year. We'll get into the later on the some discussion about Mitchell Robinson and the Celtics continued strategy of fouling Mitchell Robinson, which really got into his head. I'll explain the timeouts. A lot of Talk after Game 3 about how Joe Missoula used his timeout so much better. I'll explain why he was even, even able to do that. But this whole thing comes down to shooting. And you know, the best shooter I know is Tom Westerholm. How about that? How about that for an intro?

[Tom Westerholm]

It'll do. Yeah, that'll, that'll, that'll do. I would like, what I would like is for every one of my intros from now on to be a little like a slightly more respectful than that every time. Let's just keep building on this momentum, you know. No.

[John Corrales]

Fair enough. I'll give him my best shot. You know, it's so funny. There have been, as I've been characterizing them, very frothy discussions after games 1 and 2 about the Celtics in. Look, the, the collapses in the fourth quarter were bad. They were not good. And the Knicks took full advantage of it and started making shots like they went from can't really hit a shot to unable to miss in these fourth quarters. And the Celtics weren't able to match them and they collapsed and they lost two games. But some of the discussion have been like, oh my God, the Celtics are so bad in the Knicks, they've been so good. And I just, I feel like there's a pump the brakes here because not only did the Celtics dominate the Knicks in the regular season so much that everybody, Knicks fans included, came into the series thinking like, yeah, this isn't going to go well.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

And not only did the Celtics do that, they, they went up 20 points now in all three games. They've had 20 point leads in all three games. And it's just because the Celtics were sloppy, lazy, whatever, bad, horrible, disgusting in these, in the first two fourth quarters that they're down to one. But they, they were a few made shots away from being up three. Nothing.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yes.

[John Corrales]

So I'm sorry, man. I, I'm, I'm. I pride myself in the breakdowns. I pride myself in the nuance, but I can't get past the analysis of this, this series being anything more than the Celtics made shots in game three. Now, all of the stuff Joe Missoula has talked about flows off of made shots.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

But number one, first and foremost, the Celtics made shots, not just threes. They made a bunch of all the, all the shots that they took. They shot well, the Knicks did not. They. And that led to a 30 point lead and the Celtics holding on to that pretty comfortably.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, I think, you know, Missoula, obviously yesterday kind of pushed back when you were like, hey, does this come down to shots? And you. And then he was like, no, it's like the live ball turnovers, I can't stress how important that is, all that stuff. And it's like, so that, that. Sure, for sure. Live ball turnovers are very bad, very destructive for your team. Definitely bad. But the, the truth is, like, we're not even talking, like, the Celtics don't even have to shoot well, you know, they don't even have to shoot average. They need to not have their worst expected field goal percentages of the year, like twice, right? Like, like, they need to not do that two times. They needed to do that one time to be up 2:1 and to be in a great spot going forward. And instead they did not. They shot. They had two of their worst shooting performances of the year. Their two worst shooting performances of the year. If you take that expected field goal percentage. And I think that it, it does very much look like that, right. When you're watching the game, you're like, these, man, these are shots that they should make and they didn't. And if they had made one in either first two games, there's one that's one game, that's a three nothing lead. Like, I mean, you know, so. So I guess, right, to Joe Missoula's point, the margins, yeah, they're. They're super important. That's the margin that we're working with here, right? Is that one three pointer in either of those two games could have made this a two one or even a three zero series lead. So, yeah, no, I think, look, I mean, credit to the Knicks, I guess, right, for like taking advantage of this, for continuing to score when the Celtics literally stopped scoring, right. With like, they didn't hit a field goal for more than eight minutes in the fourth quarter of game two. Like, credit to the Knicks for making enough field goals to overcome that sure, sure. But I, yeah, I'm with you. I, I mean, I think it's, it's, it's all, it's almost frustrating trying to, it is frustrating trying to analyze this, trying to like take a bigger picture. Look at this. Because it's like, I don't know what you want, man. If they make shots, they win games. And then game three was just like, yeah, they made shots and they won the game. Like 20 point leads in every one of these games. These are, it's simple stuff, man. Really is.

[John Corrales]

It's really simple. And, and Joe, sure. You want to talk about. We didn't have those live ball turnovers and we didn't give up all those points in transition. Okay, let's go back and look at some of these live ball turnovers that they had. Jayson Tatum driving up against three guys and turning the ball over. Jalen Brown driving into the middle of the paint and turning the ball over. Why? Because they weren't making shots and those guys were forcing the issue. It all comes down to making the shots initially. And did we see Jayson Tatum driving up against three guys in game three? No, because he didn't have to because the, the drive and the kick, the kicks were open, the swings were open, the, the ball movement was there. That's, that's the, the end of the story to me. When you make the initial shots, right. It, the problem, especially in game two, was Celtics miss. Knicks come down and score. The Celtics come down and are like, okay, the lead, it's not going great. We got to do something. I feel like the Celtics in Game 2 fell very much into reacting to the moment. That's how I've been putting it. It's stay in the moment versus reacting to the moment in game two. Reacting to the moment. Al Horford forcing a couple of shots. Jason trying to drive against three guys. Jalen trying to drive and getting it stripped. Those types of plays are the plays that Joe is talking about. And they didn't do those in game three because in game three, the shots were falling, the pull up jumpers were falling. Jayson Tatum turning the corner or coming off of the pick and stepping into an in rhythm above the break three because Mitchell Robinson or whoever was was covering him was below the three point line. That shot fell. Derrick White's contested three pointer fell. The shot. You know, there is a great thing, Dan Greenberg tweeted out two plays where basically the same thing that led to Peyton Pritchard in the corner game to miss game three make. So you make those Shots you're not forcing, trying to make up for. Oh, the leads. 20, it's 17, it's 15, it's 12. That's not there. So the, the freak out isn't there. The poise is easy to keep when you're hitting those shots. And to me, it, that's, it's simple as that. So my game for analysis, make your shots, continue to make shots and you'll be okay. And it doesn't have to be a 50% from 3. It just has to be a normal amount.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, I mean, they've showed they don't need to make 50 of their threes to go up by 20. They can, they can be up by 20 making below 30 of their threes because they're a better team than the Knicks. And like, that's right. You know that you just gotta not. Yeah, I mean, yeah, make your shots. Make some shots. Any, any reasonable amount of threes. Make that and then don't melt down and, and you should be able to go back to Boston. Two, two.

[John Corrales]

Now, one thing that people have commented on was Joe Missoula did a great job with the timeouts. And he did. He. I thought there were some plays where sometimes where it's like, okay, the Knicks may like hit two, three shots and Joe doesn't like where this is going, so he called the timeout. But why, there's one very specific reason why he's able to do that. And I'll get to that when we come back. Today's show is brought to you by Doordash. They've got a great deal for you. If somebody scores 50 or more in the playoffs, you get a free three piece crispy tenders combo from Wingstop the next day. It's called they swoosh. You score, and if you see somebody drop 50, you use the code Wingstop50 on DoorDash at checkout. And that combo, the three piece crispy tent Crispy Tenders combo is yours. It's crispy, delicious, and totally free when you place an order of $20 or more. And it's an offer that's valid between noon and midnight. So place your order and you get free, extra free food. So have some fun with it. You know, like it's a go to move after an epic game, order those wings and relive the highlights. Who doesn't love watching highlights with some wings? That's. It's an ultimate sports celebration food. So get some. Whenever somebody scores 50, sign up for door dash to unlock this and other. There are other exclusive deals all postseason long and throughout the year. When a player scores 50 plus in a playoff game, Dash Pass members can grab a free three piece crispy tenders combo from Wingstop the next day between noon and midnight with a $20 order or more and the code Wingstop50. That's DashPass your door to more savings, more flavor and more ways to win.

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[John Corrales]

Thank you for making Locked on Celtics your first listen. Every day. Go check out Locked on NBA Game Night seven days a week covering all these playoff games. I'm there on Fridays with Jake Madison. With the playoffs starting to kind of wind down a little bit, there are fewer games, more analysis, and it's a great place to go. Check it out on the Locked on NBA feed. So Tom, one popular comment in the comment section. Joe Mazzullo was great with the timeouts. Especially people were attuned to that after he didn't call the timeout at the end of game two, which I have said here. I agree with the strategy. You want to maximize possessions. Jayson Tatum did the single worst thing you're supposed to do. You like you can do in that position and turn it over. You're supposed to get a shot off. But he didn't. Okay, fine, whatever. But the reason why Joe was able to call some of these timeouts is because they went on such an early, such a role again making shots that they forced the Knicks to call two timeouts in that first quarter. Which means the Celtics didn't use a mandatory Usually you start and each team has to use a timeout in a quarter. The Knicks call two, so the Celtics didn't have to use one. He has an extra one to play with. So second quarter. Early in the second quarter, when things are starting to like, oh, okay, the Knicks are making a tiny bit of a run. Call a timeout quick. You had it normally that timeout is gone anyway. So this is an important thing that I want to just put out there. When it comes to timeout usage, Joe wants to make sure that he has two at the end of the game if he can, in case it's a close situation. But when you come out strong, this is another element of when you make shots, when you were so focused, when you build that early lead against the team and you're forcing them to call timeouts, you. You now give yourself more leeway. You give your. Whoa, wow, my seat just gave way. I'm leaving that in. You're giving yourself more leeway to. This is what happens when a Greek starts talking and you start jamming around, but you give yourself more leeway to. If. If things start to get dicey, you got a couple extra timeouts to play with. That. That's just another byproduct of coming out strong and hitting those shots. Oops. You are muted.

[Tom Westerholm]

Oops. Locked on Celtics not locked into chairs. I've fallen over on the stream. Not on the stream, actually, though, that's. That's nice. Yeah, no, I think that's a good point to make about the timeouts. And I think, you know, I think it's important to remember, right. Just on a. I don't have a ton to add to it other than to say that I think it's important for people to remember. Like, when you're watching an NBA game, the NBA coach has a pretty good handle on the mechanics of what is happening. Like, if you're noticing something, I promise you the coach has noticed it, has clocked it, and is like, it's on their mind.

[John Corrales]

You know what I mean?

[Tom Westerholm]

Like, yes, with, like, the exception of, like, I feel like of a certain Bulls coach from a few years ago who I won't go ahead and mention who I did kind of always feel like was kind of not like, that was one where I was like, maybe if Bulls fans felt they could coach better than him, then possibly. But I do think that, like, generally speaking, right, These. These guys are very, like, if you've noticed it, the coach has noticed it. He's trying something here. And yeah, like, it's not to say that coaches are 100 perfect or that they always make the right decision, but they are also aware of it.

[John Corrales]

But you have things like in the third quarter. Now, this is. I bring this up because there's a lot of discussion about, like, did Joe Missoula get out coached? And I just. I laugh a little bit at that because now, did he make great Coaching decisions, not always. You know, you can argue that he should have had Pritchard in there, you know, earlier in the. More earlier in the series. But timeouts are an easy one for people to latch on to.

[Tom Westerholm]

The.

[John Corrales]

There was one in the, in the second. It was a game one or game two where they, they had the ball, they were walking it up. It was like 3:14 on the clock. Things had started to go a little, you know, they're obviously in the midst of it going south. And I'm like, that's the timeout you should call. Because they had three. And that was a use it or lose it for people who don't know. But after the, after the three minute mark in the fourth quarter, no matter how many timeouts you have, they take them all away. You have two after that, so he had three. I was like, call the time out there. They were just walking the ball up the floor. Just call it and get them some rest, get them refocused. That's, that's a great place to use. Like, I don't think you should let a user lose it go unless you're rolling, unless things are going your way, take advantage of it. Especially because so many guys are playing so many more minutes. It's a, it's a free minute and a half of rest or two minutes of rest for the guys that are out there. Just take it. And that was the one timeout that I was really kind of criticizing Joe Missoula for. But these are the little things that, like you said, the coach knows the coach is there. When, when you lose a challenge early and you start to like, run up against, like, okay, we're gonna, we're down to five timeouts in the second quarter. Well, we're gonna need two, two more timeout. Like, we're, we're starting to get against it. Like, if you, if you call one more, then you really only have like one more on your own to call. You let certain things go. A lot of times when Joe Missoula lets runs go, it's because he really doesn't have an extra time out to use. Because if you get down to it in a clutch situation, you want to maximize the possessions. That's, that's actually why he had to like, save that timeout at the end of the day, game two, he only had one left. You wanted to maximize possessions. You needed to get a shot off without it. And so you put yourself in these kind of weird situations. So that, that's why, like, Joe didn't just remember how to coach he just had a team that hit shots and went nuts and put them in a position to, to have a little bit of leeway for sure.

[Tom Westerholm]

I also, I will point out like, it, he may have gotten out coached. I do think that that's like you can, you can say like, yeah, Joe Missoula got out coached in, in games one and two if you want. Like, I'm not gonna like sit here and say that that's incorrect. Also, even him getting out coached doesn't matter. And the Celtics are still up three nothing if they make one or two more three pointers.

[John Corrales]

So that's also, that is 100 factual. Okay. Mitchell Robinson, another coaching decision, the intentional fouls that really got into his head. We'll talk about that and we'll talk about when will a great player have a great game in this series or you know what, any semifinal series as it is. All right. We'll talk about that when we come back. Today's show is brought to you by Monarch Money. If you've ever looked at your bank account and gone like I remember more money being in here, then you need Monarch Money. We've all done it. I've certainly done it. I've had some very low paying jobs in my life. So there weren't very many zeros. In fact, the only zero might have been like zero point something something. Monarch Money is your personal cfo. It gives you full visibility and control over your finances. It's not just a budgeting app. It's a complete financial command center that tracks all your accounts, investments and spending in one place. So forget about just managing your money. You can start building wealth. Monarch Money helps you realize just how much you're spending on on the little things, the things you don't even think about like food delivery and anything with fees. It helps you budget smarter and save more. If you've got a partner, it's easier to track shared personal accounts, set goals, stay on the same page. Taking the stress out of a relationship by managing your money well, that is well worth it. So you gotta check out Monarch Money. Use the code [e-mail] you'll get 50, 50% off your first year. Monarch Money just helps replace a lot of those apps. You can do it all in one place. Monarchmoney.com use the code lockedonnba for half off your first year. Today's show also brought to you by hungryroot. Hungryroot is a great service that allows you to cook healthy meals at home during this busy season. When you don't really have time to go grocery shopping. It's like your own personal shopper and nutritionist all wrapped into one. They take care of the grocery shopping, meal planning, personalized recommendations based on your tastes and health goals. So it's very convenient. And they tailor your orders based on what you like or don't like. So it gets smarter every time you just tell them what you like or don't like and they've got high, high quality, nutritious food that you can stick to. High protein diet. If you want a, you know, a low inflammation type meal thing, you can do that. The meal comes together in 15 minutes or less. You've got more time for whatever a workout time for your family. Less time cooking means more time with your family. Take advantage of this exclusive deal. 40% off your first box plus plus a free item in every box for life. Go to hungryroot.comlockdown MBA use the code locked on MBA. That's hungryroot.comlockdown MBA code locked on MBA. 40% off and a lifetime, lifetime free item. Thanks for making lockdown Celtics your first listen every day. A reminder. We've got a lockdown for every NBA team so go check out Lockdown Knicks. See what they think after that game three loss plus every other team in the playoffs. You want to see how they're, what they're doing, what they're saying, how they're processing wins and losses. Home teams just getting crushed in these, in these playoffs. Another, another home loss. The Denver Nuggets lost to okc. Like I don't want to be like oh see it's happening to everybody so people shouldn't be worried. I know that's people Celtics fans aren't going to be you know, into that but, but it is happening everywhere. It's kind of weird.

[Tom Westerholm]

The, the Pacers at home are currently it's first half and but they currently are kicking the crap out of the cabs for what it's worth.

[John Corrales]

This is crazy. Yeah, this is crazy. I, I, the Cavs are going to get eliminated and I'm confident the Celtics are going to win this series. I'm gonna have to go back to Indy again. I thought I was done with Indy. Nope. It's the one team I don't want to face and here we are. But in the meantime, Celtics are still down 2:1 to the Knicks. Mitchell Robinson. The free throw stuff has gotten like kind of nuts. I think it like him at the free throw line. He is extraordinarily demonstrative about like he is Very upset that he's not hitting these free throws. Like, this is. To me, this strategy is, is really bearing fruit now because every miss seems to, like, completely decimate his confidence.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, for sure. I mean, like, I think, you know, the one that he airballed where he literally put his, his head in his hands, it's like, I mean, like, just even from a strategic state, like. Yeah, from a strategic standpoint, you can't do that. Like, you, you gotta like, keep just like, oh, well, you know, on to the next.

[John Corrales]

Like, oh, my God. Because Joe must be loving this. Joe seeing that reaction. Mr. Like, you know, mind games. Oh, my God, he's just like, he's gonna foul him every time. Every time he's on the floor.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, and, you know, I think in game two, I really was just like, what are you doing? Like, I understand you're trying to get him out of the game, but, like, putting yourself or putting the other team in the bonus on purpose and just knowing, well, they're gonna pull them out in a second here, and, you know, it's just like, it felt. I don't know. I, I had real questions about it after game two, and then, yeah, game three rolls around and it's like, oh, my gosh. Yeah, four for 12. I mean, unbelievable rate of return on.

[John Corrales]

Oh, man.

[Tom Westerholm]

You know, like, points per possession. You know, the 4 for 12 from the free throw line. That's. And, you know, Robinson, in a game that the Knicks, what, lost by 22, he was minus three. You know, like, yet again, his plus minus is, like, really holding up and, you know, getting him off the floor. Yeah, it does matter. Like, so, I mean, I think, you know, it's, it's, it's. He's gotta, he's got to improve for sure. But, like, also, like, yeah, to your point, like, the, the body language after he misses is, is just. It's not. You don't see that really at this level. Like, and I, I mean, posted this the other day. It's just like, I understand that, like, free throws happen. Like, the bad free throw shooters happen. And, and, you know, like, a lot. It really just comes down to their, you know, mentality, their, their, you know, whether they're shook or not. But it, it. That in itself really just hammers home. Like, it's insane to watch somebody who is, who is this bad at free throws at the NBA level because, like, you know, it's not practice. You know, Mitchell, Robinson is out there getting free throws up. I guarantee you he is. And like, I Bet you in practice, he's making, you know, whatever percentage of them it is, it's just.

[John Corrales]

Yeah, it's.

[Tom Westerholm]

It's really ugly, man.

[John Corrales]

He shoots these. Line drive. It's. It's bad. I. I just. We were talking about on press row, we're like, do something. Like, we felt bad for the guy because he was so. He was so upset. It was like, buddy, come on. Like, it's not you. You can't. You can't be letting Joe Missoula see this, man. Like, he's like, that's.

[Tom Westerholm]

That's like Mr. Get up at his superstar. Oh, my God, that guy see this.

[John Corrales]

That's. That's like a gazelle on the. On the planes being like, oh, my God, my broken leg. I don't know. Oh, man, this is so painful. And I'm so slow. I hope nobody eats me. Like, it's so, like, so the instant. The instant the Celtics are in the penalty, like, but now that changes. Tom Thibodeau is going to have to be like, oh, crap, we're in the. You know. Yeah, they're in the penalty. We can't put him in because they're just going to foul him. That's going to change the entire, I think, substitution pattern, which is like, if that happens, what a win for Joe Missoula. Yeah, like, that's a big coaching win if that can happen.

[Tom Westerholm]

I also posted this, but I'm like, if Mitchell Robinson at least hit the backboard. You know what I mean? Like. Like, just like, try to try to bank it in because, like, that's better than missing everything.

[John Corrales]

Yeah.

[Tom Westerholm]

You know what I mean? Like, at least then you have a chance. Maybe the ball hits the rim a couple times and rattles in. I don't know.

[John Corrales]

That's crazy. Anyway, finally is, you know, Tatum. Tatum had a good first round and has had, like, some decent, decent performances here, but no, no superstar has dominated. Right. Jalen Brunson has not shot well. And you know what? When we go back to making shots, the Knicks missed some very clean open looks to start game three. That the Celtics turned into points and could have changed the entire dynamic of the game. This. The Knicks are very much in the just make shots as well kind of category, but Brunson is not shooting well. Karl Anthony Towns is so, like, I am so out on Karl Anthony Towns. I'm selling all of that stock I have. I've never been lower on Carl Anthony Towns. Like, I'm. I'm disgusted by what I see from Carly Anthony Towns. So you're not getting any superstar performances there. The Celtics aren't having dominant Tatum Brown, like just dominate the game. I don't know what's going on, but at what point do you think we can expect. Is it going to happen or is this just going to be. One of the role players is going to have to step up. Peyton Pritchard, somebody else, somebody, somebody of the others is going to have to step up and be the reason why the Celtics win this game or somebody wins this game.

[Tom Westerholm]

Well, I think it's interesting, right, because, and that's, that's why the three point shooting matters so much, is that, you know, like. Yeah, so much of it has come down to the role players who are, you know, like, yeah, you got, I think it was like, you know, eight three pointers out of, out of Derrick White, Al Horford and, and Drew Holiday in, in game for three. And that's. Yeah, that's good enough. That's good. That's, that's what you need. Obviously Pritchard goes off. You know, you, you hope for something like that. But I, I do think like game, Game four is like a prime chance for Tatum, right? Like, this is like you've had, he's had some, some monster performances in the playoffs. And like, I think, you know, after game two, there was all this like, oh, Tatum this, Tatum that kind of talk that was like, like just ignoring all the context of the rest of his career. Like, you know, like, yes, he has had struggles at times and also he's had some really monstrous performances. Game 4 in Madison Square Garden where you're trying to avoid. If you can, you have a big game, you go back. If you can win that game and go back to two, that, that's a big, that's a big superstar moment for him. I, I don't, I mean, I think one thing I would like to see him do is stop doing step backs against Towns. Like. Yeah, if I never see him take another step back against Towns, I think that's a good thing for his shot selection. You know, whether that's a pass or, or just take the three, like stop doing these, you know, these like mid range shots. But yeah, no, I mean, I think the, the opportunity is there for him to have a massive game, right? To have like a really kind of like potentially playoff defining game. You know, the kind that you, that you talk about in the same breath. You talk about like, you know, some of his games against the Sixers and the Bucks.

[John Corrales]

Sure. Yeah.

[Tom Westerholm]

So, yeah, I mean, the chance is there for him.

[John Corrales]

We'll See, this goes back to the Mitchell Robinson talk. If, if the Celtics like, it's almost, it's almost going to be smarter to just like be super aggressive early on and don't be afraid to foul, even if you're putting the penalty, putting the Knicks in the penalty. Because if you can keep, if you can keep Mitchell Robinson out of the game, clogging the paint like that would be where Tatum and Brown each have a chance to, to attack. Because you can, you can attack Carl Anthony Towns and if it's precious Achua that comes in, you can attack him. Right. There's, there's a lot of opportunity to take advantage based on what the Knicks decide to do with Robinson in the game. So if, and if he's in there and he's clogging the paint, you follow him a couple of times, no problem, he'll get pulled and Tatum can start attacking. I think that's the formula. That's the formula. And I remember Scal was, was worried. He's like when, when I was talking before the series about I want the Knicks, I want the Knicks. And I remember scowl saying, you don't want the Knicks because of Mitchell Robinson. They scare me a little bit more. You want the untested team, the Pistons and all that stuff, but if you can get Robinson out of that game and give Tatum a chance to cook, then you do it. I think, I think the first three games in that reaction that Robinson had after game three or in game three, this is a prime situation. Tatum, Tatum could get going if, if Robinson has to get pulled, especially if Carl Anthony Towns gets into foul trouble, then forget it. So if Towns is in foul trouble and Robinson is unplayable, then Tatum has a chance to go off with like an 18 point quarter somewhere in that second or third and the entire thing, the entire series changes.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah. And Tatum obviously has a lot to do with whether or not Towns is a foul trouble. So.

[John Corrales]

That's right. That's right. So that the, the simply put, attack Carl Anthony Towns, avoid the step backs, go at him, force him to foul because he is foul prone, then put Mitchell Robinson in the game and foul him. So he has to now do the.

[Tom Westerholm]

Opposite, get him in foul trouble the other way.

[John Corrales]

Yeah. And then, and then cook because precious Achua or some other option is going smaller and then just like torch them. Just torch everybody.

[Tom Westerholm]

It just Beating the Knicks on paper is very easy. You just gotta go. You like? Yeah, I don't know. Yeah. Then you just gotta go do it. We'll see.

[John Corrales]

Look, man, I'M gonna do the classic podcast with thing and say that I was right when I've been wrong.

[Tom Westerholm]

I know I don't feel bad about our pretty pre series stuff.

[John Corrales]

Yeah, like the Celtics, I've said the Celtics were going to win this easily and they should have up 20, way up. Right. They should be. This should be a 30 series lead with a couple of like, oh well, they pissed away two 20 point leads, but they were okay. You know, you probably would have won each game by 10 by the time the Knicks were done fouling and you hit your free throws and all that stuff. So it would have been, the story would have been you're up 20, kind of blew it, but you held on. No one would have said anything about the Celtics offense. No one would have really cared about much of anything. And then this assuming that the game three went the same way, you know, it, I, I feel like I was right and the Celtics screwed it up in those two fourth quarters. That's my take and I'm sticking to it. All right, Tom. Yeah, thanks. Thanks, Tom. I always appreciate Tom Westerholm. I appreciate you, the listener, the watcher, the person who laughed at me when my chair here kind of gave way. But I'm back. I kept it together. I didn't hit the floor and I powered through. That's the important part. I power through for you on the Lockdown Celtics podcast. So make sure you're subscribed wherever you get your podcast. Watch the show on YouTube and and then get into that comment section and share the podcast. Tell everybody they should be listening to and watching the Lockdown Celtics podcast. Here in the Lockdown Podcast network, it's your team every day.

[Tom Westerholm]

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[John Corrales]

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[Tom Westerholm]

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[John Corrales]

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