The Boston Celtics’ offseason of potentially substantial change has begun. Whether Al Horford is part of that change remains to be seen.
The veteran big man, who turns 39 in June, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer when his two-year, $19.5 million contract expires. Horford has the option to re-up with the Celtics for a fifth consecutive season — likely on a team-friendly deal, given Boston’s salary cap constraints — pursue a bigger contract with another team, or retire after 18 NBA seasons.
“For me, it’s just too soon to talk about that stuff,” Horford told reporters Saturday in Boston. “I’m going to take some time here with my wife and my kids and just — it’s not even been a day, so there’s still a lot for me to process. I’m just feeling everything out from last night; that was difficult.”
Horford hinted last month that he plans to play at least another year while praising Florida point guard Walter Clayton Jr. after his Gators won the college basketball national championship.
“I know that I’m going to be playing against him next year in the NBA,” Horford said in early April. “Maybe he’ll be with us, who knows? I’m sure he’ll be playing in the NBA.”
But will Jayson Tatum’s ruptured Achilles change Horford’s calculus? If the Celtics superstar misses most or all of the 2025-26 season and Boston is forced to take a “bridge year,” would Horford be willing to be a part of that in his 19th season?
“Yeah, I’m just not ready to talk about that right now,” Horford replied. “I just need some time with my wife and my family, and that’s what I plan on doing these next few weeks.
“I just think everything is just still very fresh for me,” he added. “Those are all things that I’ll be thinking about these next few weeks.”
Horford has had an immeasurable impact in Boston, from becoming the first big-ticket free agent to sign with the Celtics back in 2016 to serving as the stabilizing force on the 2024 championship squad. While his 3-point percentage dipped from 41.9 percent last season to 36.3 percent this season, he still averaged 9.0 points over 60 games played and helped pick up the frontcourt slack with Kristaps Porzingis sidelined to begin the season.
If Horford’s teammates had their say, the veteran big man would be suiting up in Celtics green next season.
“You can’t replace Al,” guard Payton Pritchard said Saturday. “So, I definitely hope we can get that figured out, because just his locker room presence alone is crucial. And then having him on the court, just for all the young guys to see how he goes about his business how professional he is, he’s just a leader.
“We definitely need him back.”
The unofficial start to NBA free agency isn’t until June 30, so Horford will have some time to ponder his future. In the meantime, Brad Stevens and the front office will need to consider making several hard decisions to avoid draconian luxury tax penalties.
After Julius Randle and the Minnesota Timberwolves got the best of Green and the Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals, ending their 2024-25 NBA season, the four-time NBA champion tipped his hat to Randle’s playoff performance.
“I think that was my [31st] playoff series. The only other playoff series where I felt like I lost my matchup like that I didn’t completely dominate my matchup and take over my matchup, the only other series in my career where I feel like I lost my matchup was Toronto,” Green said on “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.” “I feel like I lost my matchup to Pascal Siakam. Game 1, he crushed me. Game 2, I stifled him. Game 3, he was on. Game 4, I had a better game. But I felt like I lost my matchup in that series.
“And this series also reminds me of that series where I don’t feel like I lost my matchup — I lost my matchup. Julius was incredible. He played great basketball. Honestly, some of the shots he was taking were shots you want him to take, and he made them. He made the shots. At the end of the day, the game comes down to shotmaking and he made the shots. So I got to give Ju a lot of credit.”
Randle is in the midst of his first season with the Timberwolves after being traded from the New York Knicks to Minnesota as part of a three-team trade that also sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York.
During the regular season, he averaged 18.7 points on 48.5 shooting from the field in 32.3 minutes through 69 games (69 starts).
After the Timberwolves beat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the first round of the playoffs, Randle came up big-time for Minnesota against Golden State.
Randle, mostly defended by Green over the five-game series, averaged 25.2 points on 53.3 percent shooting from the field, with 6.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists in 37.6 minutes against the Warriors.
Afterward, Green had no choice but to tip his hat.
After the Warriors’ 2024-25 NBA season came to a heartbreaking end with a Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday night, Draymond Green received a savage text message from his mother that he has yet to respond to.
“Well, you got your fishing stuff out of storage?” Green said as he read his mom’s text message aloud on the latest “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.” “It’s time for you to go fishing.”
Davis instantly burst into laughter, and Green couldn’t help but chuckle himself despite the ruthless message.
“Gone fishin” was started by TNT’s “Inside the NBA” crew and refers to when a team is knocked out of the playoffs — or a team outright failed to make the playoffs — and is usually accompanied by doctored photos of players on the team, and notable figures from the team’s home city, on fishing boats with analyst Kenny Smith.
But one thing is for sure: Steve Kerr will return as head coach next season. And for as long as he wants to.
“At this point, just year to year,” Kerr said of his Warriors future while speaking to reporters Friday during end-of-the-season exit interviews. “I love my job. It’s so much fun. I loved this season. This was a really gratifying year in terms of the players, the commitment to each other, their ability to get through individual adversity. … I just think up and down the roster, we had guys who were committed, and when you’re a coach, that’s all you can really ask for.
“So I loved every second of this year. I love my job. But I know where the team is. I know where the organization is. So I’m perfectly comfortable going year by year at this point.”
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy appears to be on the same page.
“Yeah, for sure. He’s as big a part of this as anyone,” Dunleavy said. “He’s been great. I love him as a partner in this profession. I think it’s one of those things where we want him here as long as he wants to be here. And if that means going year to year, or doing an extension, I think we can figure stuff out.
“Of the things on my radar and agenda, no offense to Steve Kerr, but it’s not the highest thing up there because I know Steve will be around for a while.”
NEW YORK — The end is never as fun as the start. And yet it just doesn’t seem right that the end was this unsightly.
When Brad Stevens built a championship roster, acquiring Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday after a disappointing early exit in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, we all knew there was a short window for this current group. The Celtics put together a historic season that culminated with Banner 18, then had maybe the quietest offseason in NBA history while deciding to basically run it back this year.
But the 2024-25 season ended badly. Boston never quite found the same mojo from a season ago, even while piling up 60-plus wins and showing glimpses of that title squad. The Celtics reverted to some bad habits — blown leads, turnovers, cold shooting — and couldn’t get out of their own way against the New York Knicks in Round 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
What seemed so certain last summer is so very murky now. Tatum could miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season while rehabbing from Achilles surgery, as the Celtics have set no timetable on his return. A team hovering $20 million over the second apron must cut costs to ensure it can reliably chase titles deep into the future.
A new owner will take the reins during the offseason and hear some grumbles about Boston’s cost-cutting ways, even if it was inevitable regardless of who was writing the checks.
For the first time in years, it doesn’t feel like there’s an immediate pathway to Banner 19. The Celtics, depending exactly on what pieces return, will be too good to tank but not quite good enough to fully contend until Tatum is back at full health. What the roster will look like when that happens is truly a mystery.
Which left the Celtics in a weird spot after Friday’s Game 6 loss. Even with their long odds to advance, Boston players never fully entertained the idea that the end was near. After the lopsided loss, they were asked to reflect on the two-year run of this title core and ponder what might come next. Most players politely declined to do either.
They raved about the locker room. They admitted it wasn’t fun to think about the changes ahead. But they were still processing the reality. Jaylen Brown, who very well might be the central figure in a potential bridge season, tried his best to balance the emotions.
“Losing to the Knicks feels like death,” said Brown. “But I was always taught that there’s life after death. We’ll get ready for whatever is next. Whatever is next in the journey, I’ll be ready for.”
So what exactly comes next? We laid out the financial hurdles ahead in the aftermath of Tatum’s injury. The Celtics are committed to $228 million in contracts next season, already $20 million over the second apron, and that’s before decisions on free-agents-to-be in Al Horford and Luke Kornet.
Changes are inevitable. The difficult part is that there are no easy answers to trimming costs while trying to maintain talent around the desired core of this team. Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has the daunting task of figuring out how all these puzzle pieces fit together.
We feel pretty confident that next year’s roster will feature Tatum, as he rehabs, along with Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Baylor Scheierman, and Jordan Walsh. We’re not sure anything else is certain.
Brown should be back as the focal point in the leading role. But the Celtics do have to at least consider all options to trim costs, and his $53.1 million salary — in Year 2 of a five-year, $286 million contract — is a gaudy number. Porzingis and Holiday were luxuries acquired to chase a title but their $30-plus million price tags could force the team to explore cheaper options at those spots.
Would a young team in need of a proven champ splurge to take on the three years and $104.4 million left on Holiday’s deal? What is Porzingis’ trade value after a mystery ailment sapped his energy at the finish line of the season?
Porzingis said he hopes a brief downturn in activity will jumpstart his body. He still hopes to compete in FIBA play with his native Latvia later this summer, which might offer answers to whether he’s able to reboot his body before the NBA season starts. He’ll have value as an expiring contract, but the Celtics would be rolling the dice a bit if they waited until next year’s trade deadline to potentially move off his money and his trade value feels diminished at the moment given his health woes.
Sam Hauser’s four-year, $45 million extension kicks in this summer. His 3-point shooting was vital in Boston’s title march, but the team might need to ride cheaper shooting threats if it can’t otherwise trim salary.
Does Horford, who will turn 39 next month, want to be back if Boston isn’t an immediate title threat? And at what price? Can the Celtics do some maneuvering to free up enough cash to reward backup big man Luke Kornet, who continues to blossom and came back on the cheap this season to keep the band together?
All decisions must be done through the lens of what puts this team in the best position to compete when Tatum is back on the floor. If Tatum misses all of next season, the calculus changes a little bit from whatever the team might have planned previously.
In Brad we trust. Stevens made the bold decisions to ship out core pieces in Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III in order to acquire Porzingis and Holiday. Even the most ardent Smart/Williams fans (this writer’s hand is raised high) can’t help but admit those deals elevated Boston’s ceiling and delivered the title that will cement the short legacy of this core.
Now Stevens has to do it again. The moves, in the moment, will almost certainly feel painful. But it also seems fair to suggest that Boston needed some tweaks after this season, particularly as familiar issues returned. The new acquisitions might not be as immediately talented as what goes out, but their fit and cost could aid this team in building the next version of a championship roster.
It’s unsavory that the collective bargaining agreement is what will prevent this team from trying to preserve more of the core moving forward. But it’s also the reality. The Celtics knew this crossroads was coming when they got ahead of the curve two summers ago. The interest on Banner 18 is coming due.
In this moment, everything feels uncertain. Which is simply jarring because everything felt so secure for the past 20 months. That’s life in the NBA. Things change quickly. You can’t sit around feeling sorry for yourself. You have to dust yourself off and put the focus on the next challenge.
All eyes turn to Stevens and his front office staff. Much like in the summer of 2023, they must work their magic.
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OG Anunoby of the Knicks is fired up about his team’s chances of an NBA title.Photograph: Frank Franklin II/AP
On Friday night in New York City, more than 19,000 Knicks fans poured out of Madison Square Garden and onto Seventh Avenue, celebrating their team’s improbable 4-2 series victory over the Boston Celtics. The NBA’s social media peanut gallery had previously taken issue with Knicks fans for their overly exuberant early-round victory celebrations, but after landing in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in a quarter-century, this party was as legit as the Knicks newfound title hopes.
New York had beaten their rivals by a franchise playoff-record margin of 38 points, ending Boston’s reign as NBA champs. If you watched the way they suffocated the Celtics, you know it wasn’t even that close. The way this series ended was as stunning as how it began, with consecutive historic Celtic meltdowns at TD Garden, when the home team surrendered 20-point second-half leads not once but twice. Then New York were moments from wrapping up another improbable victory in Game 4 when Boston cornerstone Jayson Tatum went down with an achilles injury. Back in Boston, down three games to one, with their season on the brink and their all-NBA player in the hospital recovering from season-ending surgery, Boston powered through Game 5 on pure adrenaline. That wave of raw energy had crashed by the start of Game 6, and the Celtics finally tapped out. The Garden crowd let out 25 years of shpilkes as they watched their team bounce the champs.
And so after a season of trying to figure out who they are and what their identity is, the Knicks have finally found a label: Eastern Conference finalists. Up until the clock struck zero in Game 6, accurate adjectives to describe New York’s on-court personality were quite limited, but “resilient” and “inconsistent” probably summed them up best.
Injuries, trades and roster turnover meant that the lunch-pail defense-first teams that had marked the Tom Thibodeau-coached Knicks prior to this season were no more. The loss of their beastly, rim protecting, offensive rebounding big men – Isaiah Hartenstein to free agency and Mitchell Robinson to an ankle injury until late February – were glaring. That weakness in the paint meant newly acquired defensive stalwart Mikal Bridges, and defensive Swiss army knife OG Anunoby were hopeless against perimeter shooting for most of the season.
That said, Karl-Anthony Towns, who came to New York in a late preseason blockbuster deal, jumped out of the gate early, looking like the alpha dog Minnesota rarely got to see, setting a career high for rebounds while combining with Jalen Brunson to average more than 50 points a game. Knicks fans were being treated to blistering ball movement and some of the most explosive offensive play the franchise has ever produced, but as the games piled up, the warts began to show.
Around mid-season, the excitement that had followed the team since their 2021 playoff appearance seemed to crest, with doubts creeping in about the team’s ceiling. The team was haunted by a stat that followed them around for all 82 games: since 2003, among teams that have won 50 games or more, the Knicks had the worst winning percentage against teams .500 or better. They were whipped by the Celtics, the Cavs and the Thunder. New York winning their first title since 1973? This team couldn’t even beat the pre-Luka Lakers at home. Fans braced themselves for another playoff letdown.
Such negativity has context: the New York Knickerbockers, despite their stature as a pillar of the NBA, are mostly a losing franchise that have had just three extended runs of success in their history, one of which was during the NBA’s prehistoric early-1950s. Under the ownership of James Dolan, their fans’ fandom has repeatedly been tested by a leadership that’s provided two of the most inept, perplexing and sometimes dastardly decades a professional sports team has ever known.
Then suddenly, Dolan hired Leon Rose as team president and finally got out of the way. Knicks fans expected the former prominent player agent to attract sparkly free agents such as Kevin Durant. It didn’t happen, but a meticulous rebuild did, and in the span of five seasons, the team transitioned from NBA laughing stock to legitimate title contenders.
These Knicks are arguably one of the most oddly constructed basketball teams in recent memory, and that’s because the Knicks have consistently been one of the worst drafting franchises in NBA history. In an era where teams have tanked to rebuild their franchises, New York’s renaissance hasn’t been buoyed by a homegrown star, or stars, such as the Celtics’ Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but rather a delicate series of trades and under-the-radar free-agent signings made by their under-the-radar president. Rose has not held a single press conference since being hired in March 2020, which is wild in a town of quote-thirsty tabloids.
The result is a starting five that’s arguably unmatched in the NBA, and now that Mitchell Robinson has worked his way back into impacting games with his menacing paint presence and timely offensive rebounds, Knicks fans are starting to see the full complement of what Rose had in mind when he went all-in on pairing Towns with Brunson, and what he saw in Bridges when he gambled a stack of draft picks on the league’s iron man. They figured out a way to get past the NBA’s new junkyard dogs in Detroit, then ousted the champs in six. When it’s all working, Brunson is pushing the ball and finishing with his footwork, Bridges is sticking mid-range jumpers and ripping the ball from his opponents, Anunoby is stifling opponents’ most prolific players, Robinson’s active hands are flummoxing offenses, Towns is involved early, sticking threes and working the post, Hart’s engine is wearing teams out and bench players like Deuce McBride and Cam Payne are making meaningful contributions.
Now they meet Indiana, who beat them in the Eastern Conference semi-finals last season. A year ago the Knicks’ roster was eviscerated by injuries, allowing the Pacers to sneak past New York over seven games. Now the Knicks are a completely different team, a healthy group that’s figuring it all out at just the right time. Meanwhile the Pacers are also much improved, having played some of the best basketball in the league over the past several months. We don’t know who will emerge in what is sure to be a grueling Eastern Conference finals, but we do know the Knicks are taking nothing for granted. I feel like we have a long way to go,” said Brunson after Friday night’s win. “Just the confidence we have in each other and everything. Just knowing who we are. We have to be unsatisfied.”
Brunson and Towns were among the Knicks stars on the night [Getty Images]
The New York Knicks eliminated defending NBA champions Boston Celtics from the play-offs with a 119-81 victory to reach their first Eastern Conference finals in 25 years.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby led the way with 23 points apiece as the Knicks completed a 4-2 series victory to set up a showdown against fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers for a place in the NBA finals.
The Knicks will open the seven-game series at home at 01:00 BST on Thursday.
Six Knicks players finished in double figures with the 38-point success the largest winning play-off margin in franchise history.
Mikal Bridges had four three-pointers in his 22 points while Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 and Josh Hart finished with a triple-double of 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
The Celtics, who lost star forward Jayson Tatum to a ruptured right Achilles tendon in game four, which is likely to keep him out for around nine months, had given themselves hope after winning game five.
But in front of a Madison Square Garden home crowd, which included celebrities Timothee Chalamet, Lenny Kravitz, Ben Stiller and Spike Lee, the Knicks were in a ruthless mood.
They led 26-20 after the first quarter but did most of the damage in the second, outscoring their opponents 38-17 to take a 64-37 lead into the break to all but end the Boston challenge.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics scoring with 20 points, with Al Horford adding 10 points and Payton Pritchard finishing with 11.
Derrick White, who scored 34 points in game five, was kept quiet with just eight points.
Actor Timothee Chalamet was a keen spectator at Madison Square Garden [Getty Images]
Brunson is following in a family tradition in the play-offs, with his father Rick a member of the New York team that last played in the Eastern Conference finals in 2000.
"This is great," he said. "I mean, the fact that we haven't been here since my dad was on the team - he's not gonna like that - but it means a lot to this organisation and this city.
"In game five Boston got the best of us and we responded tonight. We just found a way to keep making plays on the defensive side, the offence was just rolling."
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau felt his team had delivered a complete performance against the reigning champions.
"I thought from start to finish we were terrific," he said.
"The Celtics are a terrific team on both sides of the ball. They play their style no matter what, and so they're not going to hand you anything. You have to earn it. And I felt we did that.
"But we can't get carried away. Obviously it's a great win and we advance. But you also understand that you have to get ready for the next series. We know that Indiana is a terrific team and we're going to have to be ready."
Despite the defeat, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla praised his team.
"At the end of the day, we set a goal out and we didn't achieve that goal," he said.
"But that shouldn't take away from the mindset and effort that the players put in - the approach, the process, you can't ask for anymore from the guys. I thought they gave everything they had throughout the season."
In August, Jalen Brunson was at MSG for a ceremony to celebrate his team captaincy.
Bruson spoke that day about the influence of his parents, Rick and Sandra. He talked about the team-friendly extension that he’d signed a few weeks earlier. He also touched on his goals for the coming season.
One of them?
“How we can get past the second round,” he said.
For most of the 2024-25 season, it seemed like the Knicks had no chance to advance beyond Round 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs. They’d be facing either the Cavs or the Celtics -- two teams that beat them soundly in the regular season.
So logic told you that the Knicks’ 2024-25 season would end in the same way the previous two had: a loss in the second round.
Obviously, that logic flew out the window over the past two weeks.
The Knicks reached Brunson’s preseason goal by overcoming 20-point deficits to win Games 1 and 2 on the road. They closed the series on Friday night thanks, in part, to stout team defense.
Knicks fans were celebrating outside of The Garden -- cell phones capturing every moment for social media -- after the win.
Inside the building, the Knicks weren’t interested in toasting their success.
“I feel like we have a long way to go,” Brunson said. “Just the confidence we have in each other and everything. Just knowing who we are. We tend to be unsatisfied.”
The Knicks certainly weren’t satisfied with how things unfolded in Boston on Wednesday. They had a chance to put the Celtics away in Game 5 and fumbled it away with an unfocused effort.
“The whole day of Game 5, it just wasn’t us,” Brunson said. “And we knew that, we reflected on it, and we came back and we said, ‘We need to be ready, we need to be better.’”
Several players mentioned the film sessions and a meeting between Games 5 and 6 as catalysts for what you saw on Friday.
“We had to talk it out, (figure out) how to communicate better,” Miles McBride said of the message from the meeting. “And I feel like we just went out there with a different type of energy.”
The energy started with an early lift from Karl-Anthony Towns. After a quiet night in Game 5, Towns was aggressive early against Boston. He and the Knicks took advantage of Boston’s decision to put a smaller defender on Towns. They found Towns in transition and found success in five-out lineups.
“That helped set the tone for the game,” said Tom Thibodeau. “… He got established (offensively), and then the rebounding and his pick-and-roll defense was outstanding. We were able to play off that.”
New York got contributions from all over the roster on Friday. Josh Hart had a triple-double. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby both had 20-plus points and helped stifle Boston all night. Brunson had 23 points and six assists. New York was plus-seven on the offensive boards and kept Boston in check on the perimeter (the Celtics were 8-for-30 on threes in the first three quarters).
“The way we prepared, the way we talked out there, the way we made it an emphasis to have each other’s back and to continue to cover for each other (was important),” Brunson said. “It’s focused on the defensive side of the ball, and when we’re doing that and offense, we’re flowing.”
They hope to keep flowing into Game 1 of the ECF on Wednesday. The Knicks will have a few days to prepare for the Pacers. Maybe they’ll even take some time to celebrate the win over Boston. But the focus will quickly turn to Indiana.
“There’s more to do,” Bridges said. “We’re not done. We came out there tonight to play hard and handle business, but our season’s not over. We’ve got so much more to do.”
Friday night saw the Knicks slay a number of metaphorical dragons during this playoff run. Game 6 was the first series-clinching win at home in 25 years, which was also the amount of time it's taken for the Knicks to make it back to the Eastern Conference Finals.
But Josh Hart also accomplished a feat not seen in a Knicks uniform in over 50 years.
Hart scored 10 points, came down with 11 rebounds and dished 11 assists all with a black eye suffered by an errant elbow in Game 5. It's Hart's 10th triple-double this season (including playoffs), but it's his first career triple-double in the postseason. In fact, it's the Knicks' first playoff triple-double since Walt Frazier in 1972 -- fitting considering how Hart eclipsed Frazier's franchise mark for triple-doubles in a season this year.
"He's the heart of the team," Frazier said on the MSG broadcast. "The black eye, he was undaunted by that. The good rebounding. he grows on you. You just watch him, he does whatever it takes to win the game. He doesn't worry about the points....he's the heart of the team."
"He impacts the game in a lot of different ways and people get stuck on ‘well, he didn’t shoot the ball or he didn’t do this.’ Josh, what he is is he’s a basketball player," coach Tom Thibodeau said of Hart after the game. "It’s transition, it’s the pace, playing out of the pocket, making corner threes. Dribble handoff, hustle plays, offensive rebounds and defensively just being everywhere and coming up with big rebounds.
"When you play with that kind of effort, it’s inspiring to a team."
Hart's inspiring play was on full display in Game 6. Whether it was crashing to the hoop before kicking out to an open man beyond the arc, or taking it to the basket himself for an and-one. The third-year Knick brought the effort, and it was infectious.
Effort -- or the lack thereof -- was a big talking point after Game 5's loss. Jalen Brunson, Hart, and others criticized how they played in that game, especially letting a nine-point lead in the second quarter devolve into a 25-point loss. The Knicks were determined not to let that happen again.
So, what worked for the Knicks on Friday night? Communication.
"We have to end quarters right, and that’s something that we did and we were able to pick it up in the second, get stops, run and play Knick basketball," Hart explained. "Everyone played well, everyone talked, everyone communicated. Made plays offensively and defensively. That’s something we preach all the time is ending quarters strong."
They'll have to keep that communication and effort when they take on the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers eliminated the Knicks in the second round last season after seven games. But this Knicks team has another streak to break in mind. Going to their first NBA Finals in 25 years.
Knicks fans have a complicated relationship with Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis.
On one hand, they are upset with his unfulfilled potential and not being "the guy" to bring the franchise to the next level after they drafted him in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft. Of course, injuries and inept front office folks had a part to play in that, but after some time had passed, whenever Porzingis would come to MSG, whether as a Dallas Maverick or Washington Wizard, he was looked upon fondly by Knicks fans.
And now, as the Celtics' season ended after a 119-81 defeat in Game 6 on Friday night, Porzingis had some interesting comments about the fans and the city.
"Honestly, the support from the Knicks' fans was through the roof tonight and all throughout the playoffs," Porzingis said. "Unbelievable fans, unbelievable city. There's a side of me that's very, very happy for them. I wish them nothing but the best. They're class players we played against and they've done great things, and I wish them nothing but success."
Porzingis finished with four points, five rebounds and one block in 11 minutes of playing time on Friday night. It was the last of a sad slate of games from Porzingis, who has been battling an illness that he has not been able to kick. It affected his play so much that Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis couldn't breathe during Game 5's win on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old said he will take the offseason to get better, let his "immune system even itself out" and come back stronger for the next season. However, who he plays for next year is in question.
Although Porzingis has one more year on his contract with the Celtics, Boston could be looking to retool. Salary cap limitations and the fact that Jayson Tatum will likely not play next season could change Boston's plans. With a title with the Celtics under his belt, Porzingis could see himself back in New York -- he's said so in the past.
But that's speculation for another time.
Porzingis finished his second season in Boston, averaging 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 blocks per game across 42 contests. And while Knicks fans celebrate their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, Porzingis' future is unknown. Porzingis was asked if he's thought about how next season's team could look very different, and he wanted to focus on tonight.
"I haven't thought about that too much. we've been locked in on the playoffs," he said. "We'll see what the future holds. Right now we're just digesting this loss."
"The support from the Knicks fans was through the roof tonight and all throughout the playoffs. Unbelievable fans, unbelievable city and there's a side of me that's very very happy for them"
The Knicks were 0-4 against the Boston Celtics in the regular season but went 4-2 when it mattered. Their lop-sided 119-81 win in Game 6 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden propelled them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, and sent the reigning champs home after an emphatic end to the series.
"To me, it's not about our guys -- they did everything they could," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. "You've got to tip your hat off to the Knicks. They played a great series. They've been great all year. [Tom Thibodeau] is a great coach, so you've got to tip your hat off to them."
The Celtics lost leading scorer Jayson Tatum to a torn right Achilles in Game 4, leaving Jaylen Brown and Derrick White to shoulder the load. White scored a game-high 34 points in Boston's 127-102 Game 5 win, but finished Game 6 with only eight on 3-of-11 shooting.
"Losing to the Knicks feels like death, but I was always taught that there's life after death," said Brown, who dropped a team-high 20 points on 8-of-20 shooting in Game 6 before fouling out in the third quarter. "We'll get ready for whatever's next -- whatever's next in the journey, I'll be ready for."
After a battle-tested Eastern Conference semifinals, the Knicks now turn the page to hosting Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers, scheduled for next Wednesday at 8 p.m.
"We knew we would have to play 48 minutes against them," Thibodeau said. "They're terrific on both sides of the ball. They play their style no matter what. They're not going to hand you anything. You have to earn it. I thought we did that."
The Knicks dominated the defending champion Boston Celtics en route to a 119-81 win in Game 6 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
New York hasn't seen their Knicks clinch a playoff series at home since 1999, which is coincidentally the last time they went to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks slayed both marks on Friday night and did so in convincing fashion. They allowed just 37 first-half points and proceeded to give the Celtics the most lopsided loss in an elimination game by a defending champion in NBA history (38 points).
After the Game 6 win, Knicks fans, celebrities and the basketball world shared their reactions online:
The scenes outside Madison Square Garden as the Knicks advance to the Eastern Conference Finals pic.twitter.com/h4d3N4QdVQ
The Boston Celtics' Jrue Holiday, left, defends the New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson during the first half of Friday’s game.Photograph: Frank Franklin II/AP
It didn’t take long for the New York Knicks to turn their biggest game in a quarter-century into a complete laugher on Friday night.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby scored 23 points apiece as the Knicks eliminated the defending champion Boston Celtics with a 119-81 beatdown in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semi-final series, propelling New York into the last four of the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2000.
The Knicks advance to meet the Indiana Pacers, the same team they faced in each of their previous three trips to the East finals in 1994, 1999 and 2000. Game 1 is Wednesday night in Manhattan.
New York overcame a sloppy opening quarter to lead by as many as 41 points during a non-competitive second half in front of a rollicking, celebrity-flecked crowd that included Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Bad Bunny and Lenny Kravitz. It marked the first time New York closed out a playoff series on their home floor since the strike-shortened season of 1999, when they reached the NBA finals as a No 8 seed.
“I thought from start to finish we were terrific,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said afterwards. “[The Celtics] are a terrific team on both sides of the ball. They play their style no matter what, and so they’re not going to hand you anything. You have to earn it. And I felt we did that.
“But we can’t get carried away. Obviously it’s a great win and we advance. But you also understand that you have to get ready for the next series. We know that Indiana is a terrific team and we’re going to have to be ready.”
Boston’s doomed title defense ended with a whimper uncharacteristic of their team in the Brad Stevens era. The Celtics, who had staved off elimination in the best-of-seven-games series with a convincing Game 5 win, were blown off the floor in a display that lacked the grit, execution and fighting spirit that defined last season’s championship run. Missing Jayson Tatum after his season-ending achilles injury in Game 4, Boston’s depleted supporting cast of Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser struggled to make an impact, failing to score either before or during the Knicks’ decisive 17-4 run that opened up a 33-20 advantage, New York’s biggest lead of the series to that point.
“In Game 5 they got the best of us and we responded tonight,” Brunson said. “We just found a way to keep making plays on the defensive side, the offense was just rolling.”
That surge, sparked by Mikal Bridges’ perimeter shooting and Karl-Anthony Towns’ inside presence, ballooned into a 64-37 half-time advantage. Bridges drained four three-pointers on his way to 22 points, while Towns added 21, dominating Boston’s thin frontline. Josh Hart chipped in with a triple-double of 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, marking New York’s first postseason triple-double since Walt Frazier in 1972.
The Knicks kept their foot on the gas after the break, stretching their lead to as many as 41 points as Boston coach Joe Mazzulla began pulling his starters midway through the third quarter. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 20 points before fouling out before the final period, but his efforts came in isolation as New York’s defense forced Boston into rushed shots and clumsy turnovers. “At the end of the day, we set a goal out, and we didn’t achieve that goal,” Mazzulla said. “But you have to take your hats off to the Knicks. They played a great series and they’ve been great all year, and Thibs is a great coach.
New York shot 46.2% from the field, including 16 of 46 (34.8%) from three-point range following a frigid start. The Knicks also dominated the glass, outrebounding Boston 55-36, while holding the Celtics to just 36% shooting and 29.3% from beyond the arc.
After the final buzzer sounded, fans poured out of Madison Square Garden into the humid Manhattan night to join the awaiting masses along Seventh Avenue, chanting “Knicks in six!” and “Fuck you Boston!” as police barricades struggled to keep the crowds from spilling into traffic. Fire engine horns blared while fans scaled light poles and subway canopies.
New York’s Game 6 demolition was a statement of intent, solidifying their return to the NBA’s elite after decades of mediocrity. It will also rekindle memories of those classic Knicks-Pacers showdowns, with Madison Square Garden now set to host Indiana in a throwback to their bruising battles of the 90s. For the first time in a generation, the Knicks will play a conference final series with genuine aspirations of returning to the NBA summit for the first time since 1973.
“This is great. I mean, the fact that we haven’t been here since my dad was on the team – he’s not gonna like that – but it means a lot to this organization and this city,” Brunson said.
The New York Knicks reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years and ended the one-year NBA title reign of the Boston Celtics with astonishing ease, rolling to a 119-81 victory in Game 6 on Friday night.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each scored 23 points for the Knicks, who will face the Indiana Pacers, the same team they met in their last conference finals appearance in 2000. Game 1 is Wednesday night in New York.
The Knicks hadn’t won a playoff series on their home floor since the 1999 East finals. So the celebrating started late in the one-sided first half inside Madison Square Garden and was sure to carry on deep into the night around the arena.
Mikal Bridges scored 22 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 for the Knicks, whose 38-point margin of victory was their largest in a postseason game.
Jaylen Brown scored 20 points for the Celtics, who lost leading scorer Jayson Tatum to a ruptured Achilles tendon in Game 4 but believed they still had enough to get it back to Boston for Game 7 and keep their title defense alive.
It was quickly clear that wasn’t happening.
The Celtics led by at least 14 in each of the first five games, but this time the Knicks started fast and kept pouring it on until Boston coach Joe Mazzulla begin pulling his starters in the third quarter after the deficit reached 41 points.
The Knicks scored the first seven points of the second quarter to make it 33-20. New York blew it open with a 13-3 run that made it 49-27, a surge highlighted by 6-foot-1 guard Deuce McBride’s chasedown block of Derrick White’s shot that led to Josh Hart’s second straight basket while being fouled.
Ben Stiller and Lenny Kravitz shared a handshake and hug afterward along celebrity row, where the A-listers were standing and cheering much of the night, the same as the fans sitting near the top of the arena.
The Knicks led 64-37 at halftime, a 27-point lead that matched their biggest in a playoff game in the shot-clock era. They led the Lakers 69-42 in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, when Willis Reed’s return from injury sparked the Knicks to their first NBA title.
There was another three years later, but the Knicks have been shut out since and it didn’t appear this would be the year that could end after the Knicks were a combined 0-8 against Cleveland and Boston, the two teams that finished above them in the East.
But they won’t have to worry about the Cavaliers and completely turned things around against the Celtics, overcoming 20-point deficits in the second halves of both games in Boston to open the series.
Hart finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for the Knicks.
