Among the things the 2022-23 Boston Celtics are known for is their 3-point shooting. They finished the regular season converting 37.2% of their long-range attempts, which was the fifth-best mark in the league.
That said, relying so heavily on 3-point shooting can prove problematic on cold nights. The Celtics know that all too well, losing all six games in which they shot 26.3% or worse from deep throughout the regular season.
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The trend continued into the playoffs, as well. All five games the Celtics have shot 34.5% or worse from deep this postseason have resulted in losses.
That is, until Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Marcus Smart went 4-for-11 from three on Saturday, missing a challenging shot with his attempt to win the game in the closing seconds. Derrick White, who corralled Smart’s miss to win on a 2-point attempt, finished 3-for-7 from deep.
But that was it. Not another member of the Celtics chipped in from long range. Smart and White combined to shoot 38.9% from three (7-for-18). Everyone else went 0-for-17.
All told, that brought Boston’s 3-point percentage in Game 6 down to an even 20%. Miami, on the other hand, shot 46.7% from deep.
That’s the lowest mark the Celtics have posted between the regular season and playoffs, yet it didn’t get in the way of them winning the most important game of their season to date. That’s something they need to consider when game planning in the future.
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