The Boston Celtics blew a huge lead in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the New York Knicks and lost 108-105 in overtime Monday night at TD Garden.
A bad 3-point shooting display -- including a playoff-record 45 missed 3-pointers -- sunk the Celtics.
But if history is any indication, Celtics fans should be confident in their team's ability to not only bounce back with a Game 2 win on Wednesday night, but also rebound with a series victory.
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SIGN UP HERE The Celtics are 4-0 after a loss in the playoffs since last season, including 1-0 this postseason (Game 4 in Orlando). They've won those four games by an average of 15 points.
Specific to the second round, Boston lost Game 1 of the conference semifinals to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2022 and the Philadelphia 76ers in 2023. The C's won Game 2 in both of those series before ultimately prevailing in Game 7.
The Celtics are also 21-10 all-time in Game 2 of the conference semifinals, including a 16-4 home record.
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The Knicks are 6-20 all-time in Game 2 on the road in a best-of-7 series, and that includes five straight losses and a 2-9 record in road Game 2s in the conference semis.
Boston is 8-4 in its last 12 Game 2s overall, including three straight victories.
The Celtics missed a ton of open shots in Game 1 and the Knicks shot 45.9 percent from 3-point range. And yet, the C's only lost by three in overtime.
There's no reason for the Celtics to panic, and the stats/trends going into Game 2 are in their favor.
But the task of winning this series would get far more difficult if they lose Wednesday. The Celtics are 1-3 all-time in playoff series in which they lose the first two games at home, with the only win coming in 2017 against the Chicago Bulls.