2025 NBA PLAYOFFS East Semifinals: #2 Boston Celtics vs #3 New York Knicks (NYK leads 2-0)

[The KnicksFix]

Boston can go and easily win 2 in NY if the shoots start falling. The Knicks just need to win at least one at home. Come back to Boston up 3-1 and force boston to win 3 in a row.

Nah they’re finished. Losses like the past 2 screw with you psychologically.

I highly doubt the Celtics get sweeped. I think they for sure are winning 1 in NY.

Yea but did you think the Knicks would have taken both in Bos?

[Butch718]

People always hate on Thibs, but he's got 2 road wins against the defending champs. Heavy minutes, blah blah blah, he's doing well.

Also, new york HAS to win game 3. I feel like if they let boston get a breath of life, they'll ride that momentum and win this series.

He honestly deserved all the criticism during the regular season. The knicks perimeter defense was in shambles due to his lineups and schemes. He insisted on playing Kat in drop coverage, which allowed teams to put their center or worst defender on Hart. It was mind boggling how he refused to make adjustments.

Also he refused to spam the pick and roll with Kat and Brunson against teams they could expose. Like, those two have the skill sets to compliment each other, yet be would run heavy iso sets for Kat that extended all the way out to the 3 pt line, and his whole offense was for Brunson to bail them out.

For the record, I definitely wanted him gone.

But the stubborn old goat managed to make adjustments in this series that have paid off, combined with the Celtics not going off with their 3 point spam ball.

[sunsbg]

KP is key for turning this around. Horford has looked old.

[Jellybeans]

KP is key for turning this around. Horford has looked old.

KP looked f*king dead after he came off at the start of the 4.
Key for winning is trying not to sh*t the bed for 3 time and finding their brains as group

[sunsbg]

KP is key for turning this around. Horford has looked old.

KP looked f*king dead after he came off at the start of the 4.
Key for winning is trying not to sh*t the bed for 3 time and finding their brains as group

Well yeah, but he's a difference maker. Not sure what is his illness, but two days between the games may help recover.

[Dainis]

Boston sucks man. How can you crap the bed in the fourth quarter two times in a row?! Hopefully they get their **** together in New York.

[blueNorange]

mazzulla isn’t a good coach, he just has great talent and brad stevens

[Stromile12]

Tatum is soft

[Patches Perry]

Big props to the Knicks. Even the Celtics on a bad night are a tall task. To come back from 20 down 2 games in a row on the road is a big playoff accomplishment.

I hope they get greedy and come into MSG prepared to fight. Boston is the best road team in the league, and better on the road than at home in the regular season. They were a 66 win pace team on the road lol. Knicks could easily drop two in MSG.

[metalinguss]

Jeez. Ime could have coached this team to a 3-peat or at least 4 straight finals appearances.

[Pachinko_]

0-2 handicap, surely the champs will come back swinging at some point?

[durden_tyler]

Just looking back to the time when the Celtics did it to the Miami Heat (2023 East Finals)

Lost Game 1 in Boston, 123-116
Lost Game 2 in Boston, 111-105
Lost Game 3 in Miami, 128-102

After every loss and even when down 0-3, i remember clearly that they were so favored that the payout for a series win was not that good and maybe just even money at that point.

Also, in those losses i believe the narrative was just the Heat were just shooting scorching hot from 3 that eventually it will normalize and Celtics will get their shot at a comeback (they did)

Miami 3 pt shooting
Game 1 - 16 of 31 (Miami led 12 points entering the 4th)
Game 2 - 9 of 26 (so not here but Boston led 98-92 with 4 minutes to go)
Game 3 - 19 of 35 (Miami led by 30 points entering the 4th)

Games 4 and 5 were not close (Celtics favor), Game 6 was the White putback. And Game 7, Tatum got injured on the first play of the game (Played through 42 minutes but was clearly hurt and Heat won via a blowout)

Why am i bringing this up? Am not sure, i want to see if the Celtics are in it mentally the same way they did in Miami back then. The major difference is that the first two losses to New York is mentally draining! It wasn't just because of the opposition who were shooting the lights out, this is self-inflicted!

Additionally, i think this Knicks team is more talented, perhaps more tough (definitely more tough defensively) than those Jimmy Butler-led squad.

The Knicks know that if they lose Game 3 they are letting the Celtics back in it. But a win will be a virtual series victory because of history (no one came back from it) and i think New York will play accordingly...

[Optms]

Knicks showing us defense still matters.

They limited Boston to 91 points. That just doesn't happen. Meanwhile the Nuggets cough up 150 points to a similarly team in terms of talent. That's all defense there. I have no questions Knicks are going to make it hell for the Pacers and their "All time great offense" if they get out of round 2. Thibs top 5 coach in the league since he came aboard.

[Ticket]

Jeez, did not see this coming.

Can the Monstarz give us back our talent please?

We look like a bunch of scared G-league’rs in the 4th.

Kudos to the Knicks, well deserved wins.

[Revived]

Read on Twitter

[Raps in 4]

Jeez. Ime could have coached this team to a 3-peat or at least 4 straight finals appearances.

I doubt it. Ime is a much better coach than Joe, but you can't coach the choke gene out of Tatum.

[Raps in 4]

Read on Twitter

Classic Colin Cowturd take.

[Revived]

I don’t give any reimbursement on Mikal , he’s yours to have it in this 2-4 defeat

This has to be a joke at this point rite? Mikal playing lockdown defense and scoring almost as many points as the entire Celtics in the 4th and 2 INSANE defensive plays to end both games....

Why this would be a joke ?

Celtics still gonna get this series , well it’s gonna be in 6 instead of 5 , and when they do nobody’s gonna remember what Mikal did

Do you feel like Nets should’ve held off on trading Bridgrs to get more for him? Panicked and traded him away for 5 first rd picks that are all gonna be in the 20s? Not to mention yall traded him to an inner city rival that you helped turn into a contender with that trade by giving them the most durable player in modern basketball history who’s also a complete menace defensively every time he’s on the court.

I think a team like Houston may have traded away a top 10 pick in this upcoming draft in addition to just as many picks Knicks traded for him…if yall had just waited.

[Revived]

Are these not the most entertaining playoffs ever? Crazy what's happening

The year with the Celtics vs Bulls with Ben Gordon going off was slightly better imo.

[Revived]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

If Steve Kerr started Tatum like everyone wanted him to, USA probably loses to Serbia.