The Celtics are back with a bang! On a special opening night where they raised their 18th banner to the rafters, they made it even more memorable by putting on a shooting clinic from beyond the arc. Ironically, Jrue Holiday played a key part in the team’s epic performance, tying the record that was previously set by his former franchise, the Bucks. But the real question is- can the Cs replicate what Jrue’s former team did later that season?
Yes, in an epic performance, the Celtics made a whopping 29 three-pointers against the Knicks. Sure enough, this put them in the same ranks as the Bucks, who achieved the feat against the Miami Heat back in 2020. And now, the two franchises are tied for most three-pointers by a team in a single game.
But that season, when the Bucks set this record, they went on to win the championship. So, this could be an auspicious sign for Jayson Tatum and Co. as they pursue their 2nd straight title. They certainly have the squad capable enough to do so.
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With their last season’s star-studded starting 5 still intact, the Celtics are among the favorites to win it all yet again. And now, they might even have luck favoring them after tonight.
Sure enough, it took a highly efficient performance from the entire squad to match Milwaukee’s record. Well, Jayson Tatum led the charge with 8 three-pointers on just 11 attempts in his game-high 37-point outburst. Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White combined for eleven threes, both making over 50% of their shots. Obviously, Jrue Holiday also made four deep-range shots to contribute to the total.
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Even when the Bucks set this record four years ago, it was Jrue Holiday’s six threes that night that helped them achieve this feat. Apart from these stars, three other Celtics players made at least one three tonight. But they missed the opportunity of shattering the record.
Jayson Tatum “surprised” by the Celtics’ inability to break Bucks’ record
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While the Cs would be happy with tonight’s outcome, they had a great chance to be the lone record holders for most threes in a game. Well, they had already made 17 threes in the first half. And then, they made 12 quick threes to tie Milwaukee’s record with a lot of time to spare in the second. Surely the record was theirs. Everyone thought so. But somehow, they ended up missing their last 13 deep-range attempts to finish the game and could not set a new record!
Even Jayson Tatum couldn’t process his team’s performance in the final quarter. “I’m surprised that we missed every three for the last eight minutes, you know. We’re gonna be upset about that.” However, keeping aside the 3p bottling, the hooper was proud of the way the team played on opening night, especially after participating in the emotional ring ceremony ahead of the game. Hopefully, the Cs will carry this momentum for the rest of the season and finish the job as the Bucks did after they broke the record.