Is Game 3 vs. Celtics a must-win for Knicks? Shaq, Barkley make the argument

Is Game 3 vs. Celtics a must-win for Knicks? Shaq, Barkley make the argument originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The New York Knicks shocked the basketball world by winning the first two games of their Eastern Conference semifinals series versus the Boston Celtics on the road.

Despite trailing by 20-plus points in both games, the Knicks made stellar second-half runs and outplayed the Celtics late.

And if NBA history is any indication, the Knicks are in a very good spot as the action shifts to Madison Square Garden in New York for the next two games.

But the job isn’t finished for the Knicks. They can’t give the Celtics an opening. That’s the message two Hall of Famers — Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley — conveyed on TNT’s postgame show after Celtics-Knicks Game 2 on Wednesday night.

“They’re up 2-0. Now, for the Knicks, don’t get comfortable. It’s a must-win for Boston, but it’s also a must-win for the Knicks,” O’Neal said. If you want to put serious pressure on the champs, Game 3 is a must for the Knicks.”

Barkley agreed with O’Neal, and he used his own experiences as a player for the Phoenix Suns to explain why.

“He is 100 percent correct,” Barkley said. “I’m one of the few people in the world who have been in this situation twice. We played the Lakers (in 1993) when we were the No. 1 seed in the West and we lost the first two games at home in a best-of-5 series. I remember telling the guys, ‘All we have to do is get the first one, because then the pressure switches back to them.’ You gotta win the third one, because then the pressure switches.

“When we won the first two games in Houston (in the 1995 conference semifinals), I remember telling the guys, ‘We cannot go back to Houston tied 2-2. We’ve got to win Game 3.’

“This is gonna sound stupid — Game 3 is a must-win for the Knicks. Boston has a better team, they’ve been up 20 (in each game). But I’m telling you, I’ve been in that situation twice, you gotta win that third game. I still thought we were gonna win the series when we lost Game 3 (to Houston), but it actually flips the mental picture.”

The first series Barkley referenced was the Phoenix Suns losing the first two games at home in the first round to the No. 8 seed Los Angeles Lakers. The Suns won the next three games to take the series, and they ultimately lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1993 NBA Finals.

Barkley was on the other side of the equation in 1995 when his Suns beat the Rockets in Houston twice to begin the conference semis. The Rockets rebounded with a Game 3 win in Phoenix and later prevailed in Game 7.

Playing at home should be an advantage for the Knicks, but the Celtics have proven they can win important games on the road. And their 33-8 road record this season was the second-best in league history.

The Celtics won both games at MSG during the regular season and haven’t lost in that building since the 2022-23 campaign.

Even though Game 3 is not actually a must-win for the Knicks, they would be best served having a do-or-die mentality Saturday afternoon. They cannot afford to let their foot off the gas. That would be a dangerous game to play against a team as talented and as experienced as the Celtics.

And the Knicks do have some experience blowing a 2-0 series lead. They won the first two games of their second-round series versus the Indiana Pacers last season and lost in Game 7 at home.