The Boston Celtics were knocked out of the NBA playoffs on Friday night by the New York Knicks, officially ending their hopes of defending their championship title.
Even though the postseason ended in disappointment, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t dwell on the loss during his postgame remarks. Instead, he chose to acknowledge and appreciate his team’s efforts over the season. “We had a goal that we fell short of,” Mazzulla said. “But that doesn’t take away from the mindset and effort these players showed. They gave everything they had. We didn’t win the title, but that’s the cost of chasing something meaningful.”
Boston had sparked optimism among fans with a Game 5 win at TD Garden on Wednesday an upset many didn’t expect after Jayson Tatum suffered a ruptured Achilles in Game 4 and underwent surgery. However, that momentum came to a halt on Friday as the Celtics fell behind by as much as 33 points in the second half, ultimately losing 119-81. They struggled to recover after the break.
Meanwhile, the Knicks celebrated reaching their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000, to the joy of their supporters. They’ll now take on the Indiana Pacers starting Wednesday.
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