The Boston Celtics lost to the New York Knicks in two straight playoff games, making them the first NBA team to beat a 20-point lead and lose in the back-to-back playoffs.
Celtics disappear again in the fourth quarter
The Celtics once again scored a 20-point first game lead in their second game Wednesday night and lost in overtime, with the Celtics taking a long lead in their second game Wednesday night as they scored a 91-90 victory in New York.
“We got 20 points in two games in some way and didn't win,” said Celtics star Jaylen Brown. “It was obviously two guys, it was suck.”
New York overcame a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter of Game 1, and then countered after falling 16 points early in Game 4 of Game 2.
It wasn't until four minutes left that the Knicks took the lead in the first game. They led 12 minutes in total in two games.
To me, how the Celtics killed themselves for 3 consecutive games… It was crazy…
First match: 15-60
Match 2:10-40Boston missed the 75 3s in the first two games. Seventy-five. A 20-point lead in both games.
brutal. pic.twitter.com/queuixwzuwb
— Jon root (@jonnyroot_) May 8, 2025
Brown flipped the ball in the last game of Game 1 when Mikal Bridges robbed him of his last game. Jayson Tatum also moved the ball away in the final game of Game 2 – this time the bridge dribbles in Tatum and deflected the pass after the clock ran out.
“They did every game. … I thought we had some appearances, and then I thought we had some lapses in the field, and they took advantage of it, so they got the necessary game to win,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. “We put ourselves in the spotlight, we just didn't make the game.”
Boston sets NBA playoff record in Game 1
More importantly, the Celtics missed 14 shots in the last 15 shots, defeating 23-6 in the last 8:30 of the second game. Boston won 61 games in the regular season and finished second in the Eastern Conference thanks to their reliance on long balls.
In the 2024-25 regular season, Boston sets and sets a single-season record for most three-pointers. The Celtics tried to shoot 3,955 shots from outside the arc and they made 1,457 shots. Both set a single-season record.
However, in the first game against the Knicks, the Celtics set an NBA playoff record, defeating three points 45 times, which was shocking. Boston led by up to 20 points, and then the Knicks began to grab their own path.
The Celtics hit 4 of 26 shots in the fourth quarter of Game 1 and 2 in Games 4. Clutch timeIn two games, defined as the last five minutes of the game, the score is within five points.
At that moment, Tatum and Brown are the sum of 12.
Boston also faces a 0-2 series deficit for the first time since the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics started the series with three straight losses and then won Game 7 in a row, but their home scored 103-84.
In addition, C fell 0-2 in the Brooklyn Nets' first-round series in 2021. The Celtics were defeated in five games, the first time they were eliminated in the first round since 2016.
