10 takeaways from the Celtics’ tactical edge over the Knicks

#1 - Hunting KAT

The Celtics usually hunt guards to punish their lack of strength and size through post-ups and isolation. Yet, yesterday, the first target was a 7-foot center: Karl-Anthony Towns. The former Timberwolf is very important to the Knicks’ offense and makes them one of the best teams in the East, but his defensive weaknesses create a lot of problems on the other side of the court.

Thanks to Jayson Tatum’s great pick-and-roll game and the Celtics’ strong screeners, Boston tortured KAT with a simple but deadly approach. As Karl-Anthony Towns struggled to navigate screens and adjust his body position in drop coverage, the Celtics used two screens to make it impossible for him to keep…