Celtics Stumble as Knicks Take 2–0 Series Lead

The defending NBA champion Boston Celtics are in unfamiliar and dangerous territory, trailing 0–2 in their Eastern Conference semifinal series after blowing double-digit leads in back-to-back home losses to the New York Knicks.

Wednesday’s 91–90 loss at TD Garden marked the second straight game in which Boston surrendered a 20-point advantage, leaving the team stunned and fans frustrated.

“In two games, we’re up 20 points and somehow, not end up with wins, it’s inexcusable,” said Celtics star Jaylen Brown. “But we’re going to learn from it. We’re going to respond.”

The Celtics, who went 16–3 in last year’s playoffs to claim their record 18th NBA title, now face a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd in Game 3 on Saturday.

Jayson Tatum, Boston’s leading scorer, has struggled mightily in the series, shooting just 12-of-42 from the field over two games and committing eight turnovers—including one stripped by Mikal Bridges in the final seconds of Game 2.

“I take full ownership for the way that I’ve played in this series,” Tatum admitted Thursday. “Can’t sugarcoat anything. I need to be better. And I expect to be a lot better.”

Boston’s late-game execution has been particularly poor, including missing 14 of their final 15 field goal attempts on Wednesday.

The team’s reliance on the three-point shot has backfired, going 10-of-50 from beyond the arc in Game 1 and 10-of-40 in Game 2—an abysmal 23% combined.

Though Boston dominated the Knicks during the regular season, winning all four matchups, New York has flipped the script in the playoffs behind gritty defense and timely shot-making.

Tatum said the entire roster needs to “look in the mirror” as they head to New York for Saturday’s pivotal Game 3.

StubHub and TickPick listed the cheapest seats at Madison Square Garden for over PHP35,000 (USD626) and PHP44,000 (USD795) respectively as of Thursday, with courtside seats reaching over PHP2.3 million (USD40,000) on Gametime.

Despite the setback, Boston has historical precedent on its side—having avoided three-game losing streaks since their 2023 conference finals loss to the Miami Heat in seven games.

The Celtics have also been stronger on the road this season, posting a 33–8 record away from TD Garden compared to 28–13 at home.

“In a way, it kind of takes all the pressure off of us,” said center Kristaps Porzingis, who has been recovering from illness.

“If you check the odds, maybe the Knicks are the favorites now to win. We were expected to win, so for us to be in this hole with our backs against the wall, we have nothing to lose,” Porzingis added.

Tatum remained upbeat, looking ahead to Saturday’s clash: “It’s not about our season being two games from over. That hasn’t crossed any of our minds. We’ve got a game on Saturday at 3:30 that should be a lot of fun. If you’re a competitor, you should really look forward to that moment.”

Only five teams in NBA history have come back from a 0–2 home deficit to win a best-of-seven playoff series.

If Boston hopes to be the sixth, it must rediscover its rhythm—starting in hostile territory.