The Knicks lost three games to the Celtics, and it's hard to get rid of the label of "bullying the weak and fearing the strong".

On February 25, the Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks 118:102 at home, winning five straight games and beating the Knicks for the third time this season. The Knicks lost three games in a row to strong opponents in the Eastern Conference, once again exposing the problem of being unable to cope with strong teams, and were labeled as " bullying the weak and fearing the strong " by the outside world .

This season, the Knicks have significantly improved their record after the introduction of the "No. 1" Towns, and currently rank third in the Eastern Conference with a record of 37 wins and 19 losses. However, they have repeatedly lost to the top two opponents in the Eastern Conference, especially the three games against the Celtics this season. In this game, the Celtics took the initiative from the first quarter, Tatum scored 10 points in a single quarter, and led the team to a 19-point lead.

The Celtics used their high-intensity defense to limit the Knicks' core players. In the first half, Towns made 2 of 9 shots and scored only 5 points and 9 rebounds; Brunson made 3 of 8 shots and scored only 7 points. At the end of the first half, the Celtics led by 21 points with 64:43. Although the Knicks narrowed the gap to 4 points in the third quarter, they failed to complete the reversal. White and Brown's consecutive scores helped the Celtics stabilize their position and win the game 118:102.

The Knicks have lost all five games against the Cavaliers and Celtics, the top two teams in the Eastern Conference this season. They also failed to win against the Thunder, the top team in the Western Conference. Especially in the strong dialogue, they exposed the problems of unstable offense and frequent mistakes on the defensive end.

What is more worrying is that the Knicks exposed an imbalance in their lineup structure in this game. The starting five contributed 90 points, while the bench only scored 15 points. This "top-heavy" salary structure limits the team's rotation depth and tactical changes.

In addition, the Knicks also seemed to be behind the trend in terms of offensive strategy. In the context of the entire league pursuing space and three-pointers, the Knicks still insisted on mid-range shooting. In this game, they took 15 fewer three-pointers than the Celtics, and their offensive efficiency was far lower than that of their opponents. In the end, they were defeated by their opponents with 16 three-pointers and a hit rate of 43%.

Although the Knicks have had an impressive record this season, they have repeatedly lost to strong teams. They lost to the Cavaliers by 6 points at the beginning of the season, and recently lost by 37 points. In the three matches against the Celtics this season, they lost by a large margin in two games, and in one game, they fought back but still lost by 16 points. The continuous defeats have led to the Knicks being questioned by the outside world as a "pseudo-strong team" that seems to only be able to win against weak teams.

The Knicks will play the Cavaliers twice more and face the Celtics again in the final week of the regular season. If they continue to fail to defeat strong opponents, it will be difficult to get rid of the label of "bullying the weak and fearing the strong".

Although the Knicks are currently ranked third in the Eastern Conference, their performance against strong teams has raised questions about their true strength. The playoffs will be the best stage for the Knicks to prove themselves. If they can defeat strong opponents in the playoffs, they will get rid of the label of "pseudo-strong team" and truly become one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference; but if they continue to perform poorly against strong teams in the regular season, I am afraid that the evaluation of "bullying the weak and fearing the strong" will be further deepened.

The Knicks face considerable challenges ahead. Whether they can adjust their tactics, improve their mental quality, and achieve a breakthrough in the playoffs will determine the team's ultimate direction this season.