The Boston Celtics went back to the intentional foul strategy in Game 3 — and this time, it worked.
After largely abandoning the “Hack-a-Mitch” approach in Game 2, Boston resumed intentionally fouling Knicks center Mitchell Robinson on Saturday. The results favored the defending champs: Robinson shot just 4-of-12 from the free throw line in the loss, including several momentum-halting misses.
He had gone 3-of-10 at the line in Game 1 and only took one free throw in Game 2.
“Just process over results,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game. “You just always stick to the process of what you think gives you the best chance to win on that possession and to win in that game.”
Robinson finished with six points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes in Game 3. After posting a plus-13 and plus-19 in his minutes across the first two games, the Knicks were outscored by three with their defensive anchor on the floor Saturday.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau acknowledged the challenge of balancing Robinson’s defensive impact with the downside of repeated intentional fouls.
The NBA’s 2016 rule change prevents “Hack-a-Shaq” fouling in the final two minutes of any quarter. Away-from-the-ball fouls during that window result in free throws and possession for the fouled team — creating a narrower window for exploiting poor free throw shooters earlier in each quarter.
“You’ve gotta make a decision between five [minutes left in a quarter] and two, and then you go from there,” said Thibodeau. “If he’s making, he stays. If he’s not, you gotta get him out. And then there’s the impact on the game. Is it more beneficial to leave him in? So there’s a lot of factors that go into that.”
Robinson shot 68% from the line during the regular season — a career high — but he’s historically struggled at the stripe. He’s shot below 50% in each of his previous four seasons and hit just 26.7% in Round 1 against the Detroit Pistons.
He’s now 7-of-23 (30.4%) from the line through three games in Round 2. And by repeatedly sending him there, the Celtics aren’t just disrupting the Knicks’ offensive rhythm — they’re trying to force Thibodeau to sub out one of his most impactful defenders.
“You encourage [him],” said Jalen Brunson. “It’s a tough position to be in, especially mentally. But you have to encourage. We’re going to have each other’s backs regardless. No matter what happens, win together, lose together, we’ll go through that together.”
