In the Boston Celtics first nine games of the season, the team averaged 34.5 3-point attempts per game, but — perhaps fueled by considerable success in their tenth game of the season, a 124 – 97 win vs. the Orlando Magic — boosted their treys attempted by roughly a third in their next two games.
And while the Magic couldn’t hang with the lethal sniping the Celtics brought to bear on Friday, Jan. 15, they fell back to earth with a thud after trying it again vs. the New York Knicks. From blowout to blown out, the old maxim was never truer that one lives by the 3, and one dies by it — at least when it becomes such a disproportional part of a team’s typical approach.
Cavs reportedly to trade or cut Kevin Porter Jr.; should Celtics inquire? https://t.co/Q8ZRI0EisV
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 18, 2021
With 42 and 46 attempts respectively in Boston’s last two contests, the former made sense given how well it was falling against Orlando. But for whatever reason, the Celtics kept launching deep jumpers against New York with little success.
It was a recipe for disaster noted by many around the Celtics media sphere, perhaps explained in part by Kemba Walker’s return and the early start time — but it’s also a dangerous habit that needs quick excision.
Given it produced a loss of historic proportions, the sting is likely enough to prevent Boston from overusing their 3-point shot so egregiously any time soon.
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