The Knicks’ beating (119-81) stung the Celtics more than expected, who in their worst nightmares could not have imagined being eliminated in such a miserable way, being thrashed – they were 41 points behind (92-51) in the third quarter – and leaving their famous pride, the franchise’s historic identity, on the floor.
The reigning champions and the second-best team in the regular season (61-21) faced many adversities, especially the absence of their star, Jayson Tatum, but neither that nor the cauldron that Madison Square Garden became nor the voracity of the hungry Knicks served as an excuse. The Boston locker room after the game was like a funeral.
It’s not something we were prepared for… Losing to the Knicks is like death. But I was always taught that there is life after death, so we will prepare for whatever comes our way
“Finishing in May feels weird, it’s definitely not something we were prepared for,” said Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who was ejected for fouls 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 a shame. But we keep our heads up. Losing to the Knicks is like death. But I was always taught that there is life after death, so we’ll prepare for whatever comes our way.”
They assume their manifest inferiority
“We ran into a great team. You have to give the Knicks credit,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “They outplayed us. They played better,” said Mazzulla, who changed his starting lineup for the fourth time in six games, opting for Luke Kornet, hero of Game 5, instead of the ailing Kristaps Porzingis.
It was super frustrating. As frustrating as you can imagine. Not being able to help this team more, especially with JT’s absence. Not being much help hurts deeply
“It was super frustrating. As frustrating as you can imagine. Not being able to help this team more, especially with JT being out. Not being much help hurts deeply,” said the Latvian center before revealing that he planned to undergo a period of rest and further testing over the coming months, hoping to “reset”. He added that he still planned to play for his native Latvia in the Eurobasket in August.
We will never get this season back. We will never have the same team again… there were ups and downs in the season, but right now, things are a little bit down
The future, in general, is uncertain for the Celtics. With Tatum facing a long recovery after undergoing surgery on Tuesday for a torn Achilles tendon, a serious surgery that could ruin if not all, if part of his next season. “We’ll never get this season back. We’ll never have the same team again”, said Celtics guard Derrick White. “Obviously, there were ups and downs in the season, but right now, things are a little bit down”
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