The defending champion Celtics were eliminated from the playoffs on Friday, having been blown out by the Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
“Finishing in May feels weird, it’s definitely not something we were prepared for,” said Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who fouled out before the end of the third quarter after scoring 20 points but with seven turnovers. “Things didn’t go our way this year, and it’s unfortunate.
“But we hold our head up regardless. Losing to the Knicks feels like death. But I was always taught that there’s life after death, so we’ll get ready for whatever’s next in the journey.”
Boston had an unexpectedly poor start to the second-round series, losing the first two games at home after holding 20-point second-half leads in each contest. Things went from bad to worse in Game 4, when the Celtics blew another double-digit second-half lead and perennial All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum sustained a torn Achilles tendon.
While the Celtics had their chances, especially early on in the series, they were thoroughly outplayed in Game 6. Head coach Joe Mazzulla made sure to credit the Knicks for their dominant performance, Windhorst notes.
“We ran into a great team. You have to tip your hat off to the Knicks,” Mazzulla said. “They outplayed us. They played better.”
As Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe writes, the Celtics now face a summer of uncertainty due to Tatum’s injury, their extremely expensive roster, and the restrictions of the NBA’s tax aprons.
Center Kristaps Porzingis, who battled “extreme fatigue” — one of the lingering effects of a mysterious February illness that was never identified — throughout the playoffs, could be on the trading block this offseason, according to Himmselbach. Veteran guard Jrue Holiday could be in the same boat.
Himmelsbach also suggests that big man Al Horford could opt to retire. Windhorst recently reported the impending free agent hopes to re-sign with the Celtics, but that was before Tatum’s injury. Horford will turn 39 years old in early June.
But the team wasn’t thinking about the future in the immediate aftermath of the loss.
“It sucks,” guard Derrick White said. “You’ll never get this season back. You’re never going to have the exact same team again.”
New York, which entered the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the East, will now face No. 4 Indiana in the team’s first conference final appearance in 25 years.
Drama queen
Brown stepped down instead of up.
They quit in the second quarter.
Dead people, “No, you are actually incorrect. You only lost a basketball game to a better team.”
The Mavs and Celtics could make for interesting trade partners. Mavs have big man depth, Celtics have PG depth.
Celtics fans don’t appreciate Holiday. With White he is not ready a good mix there. He fits like a glove in Dallas.
It would have to be Holiday though, White is just too good and Pritchard is on such a good contract. I don’t know if Dallas wants three years of Holiday at his salary.
Celtics should not trade Holiday. He is like a cursed amulet. Look what happened to Pelicans after they traded him. Look what happened to the Bucks. Celtics trading him would be welcoming some seriously bad luck. You cant make this stuff up.
It ain’t that deep buddy.
Any other team it’s only a loss, but the fact that they lost to the Knicks…man Brown’s probably close being to spot on.
lol, Jrue and Kyrie would not work in the same locker room.