3x NBA All-Star Calls Out Celtics' Closing Strategy vs Knicks. Former Memphis Grizzlies star Gilbert Arenas had some issues with the Boston Celtics' late-game execution against the New York Knicks.

Joe Mazzulla has “zero concern” about the Celtics’ recent struggles. And with 17 games remaining before the playoffs, the C’s are confident they’ll fix their issues.

At this point, the Celtics have played 14 games, 7 of which have been considered “clutch games,” meaning that the game was within five points with 5 or less minutes left in the game.

In the 31 games Boston has played this year, its core starting five — Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis—have played just 187 possessions together.

But the issues run deeper. The Celtics are top heavy. Tatum is a budding superstar. Brown is a notch below—and closing. Both should be All-Stars next month. I voted Brown in as a starter.

Celtics Look Too Physical, Too Strategic for Warriors So Far In NBA Finals. Grant Hughes Jun 9, 2022. ... Instead of sniping from long distance, the Celtics shifted to a close-quarter, ...

The Celtics can't do what the Pacers did Tuesday night, letting a Giannis- and Dame-less Bucks team blow them out at home in a close-out situation. And no lead should feel safe, as we saw Tuesday ...

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, left, talks with Derrick White, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, in Chicago.

Over the first two games of the second-round series between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, there were major concerns regarding the defending champions. The Knicks came back from 20-point ...