Celtics eliminated from playoffs after Game 6 loss, Knicks win 119-81

It was always going to be an uphill battle after the Celtics fell behind 3-1 in the series. That climb became even steeper with the devastating news that Jayson Tatum had ruptured his right Achilles. Despite a strong Game 5 win over New York in Boston, the Celtics couldn’t finish the job on the road, losing to the Knicks 119-81.

Boston started Game 6 on their back foot, opening with two turnovers and three missed shots. Jaylen Brown finally got the Celtics on the board with a straightaway three-pointer just over nine minutes into the first quarter. A Jrue Holiday steal led to a Brown layup that gave Boston its first lead, 5–4, at the 8:36 mark.

But momentum quickly swung back to the Knicks. A Mikal Bridges corner three sparked a 7–0 run and forced a Celtics timeout with 7:04 remaining in the quarter. Boston shot just 2-for-10 from the field over the first five minutes.

Looking for a spark, head coach Joe Mazzulla made a triple substitution midway through the quarter, bringing in Kristaps Porziņģis, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser. Boston was 3-of-14 from the floor when Brown converted an and-1 to cut the Knicks’ lead to 13–10.

With 4:34 left and the Knicks in the bonus, the Celtics turned to a “hack-a-Robinson” strategy. Mitchell Robinson, who shot well from the line in Game 5, hit 1-of-2 before being subbed out for Karl-Anthony Towns.

Porziņģis tied the game at 16 with a straightaway three, then immediately made his presence felt on the defensive end, blocking Towns’ next attempt—followed, predictably, by a Towns protest to the officials.

New York responded with an 8–0 run in the final minute of the quarter, capped by a pair of threes, to take a 24–16 lead. Brown sliced the deficit to six with a euro-step layup just before the buzzer, and Boston trailed 26–20 after one.

The Knicks opened the second quarter with another 7–0 run, prompting another Mazzulla timeout. Boston was 8-of-26 from the floor at that point, with Brown (13 points on 5-of-8 shooting) the only Celtic to make more than one shot.

Second-chance points continued to plague Boston. According to MassLive’s Brian Robb, the Knicks secured offensive rebounds on 47% of their missed shots.

New York’s 33–20 advantage was its largest lead of the series to that point. Boston shot just 2-of-7 to open the second quarter, including 0-of-4 from three, and the deficit ballooned to 16 with under seven minutes remaining in the half.

The Knicks pushed the lead to 20 after back-to-back and-1 finishes from Josh Hart. Momentum was squarely with New York, and Boston’s cold shooting only energized the Madison Square Garden crowd.

Miles McBride’s three-pointer just before halftime put an exclamation point on a dominant first half, sending the Knicks into the break with a 64–37 lead.

Boston managed only 17 points in the second quarter and got virtually nothing from its backcourt duo of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, who combined for just six points on 2-of-14 shooting, along with two turnovers.

Jaylen Brown was the lone bright spot offensively, finishing the half with 18 points and three assists. But even he wasn’t immune to mistakes—Brown committed six of Boston’s first-half turnovers.

The Celtics went from trailing by 27 to down 32 in just over a minute to start the second half.

Derrick White finally showed signs of life, hitting back-to-back threes to trim the deficit to 26 with 9:46 remaining in the third quarter.

Moments later, a missed kick-ball call led to a Mikal Bridges layup, followed by an offensive foul on Jaylen Brown. On the next possession, Jalen Brunson drained a three, prompting another timeout from Joe Mazzulla.

It was one of those nights—Boston came out flat on both ends, and the Knicks capitalized. New York executed its game plan to near perfection, shooting efficiently and pushing the lead as high as 41 in the quarter.

Jaylen Brown fouled out with 2:50 left in the third. He finished with 20 points, six assists, six rebounds, and seven turnovers.

Mazzulla emptied the bench shortly after, pulling the remaining starters and giving minutes to deep rotation players and end-of-bench guys.

New York carried a commanding 92–57 lead into the fourth.

Despite the margin, the Knicks kept their starters on the floor well into the fourth quarter, continuing to dominate the glass. That effort led to second-chance opportunities and open threes, which they consistently knocked down.

In a season where hopes of a repeat were real, tonight was a harsh reminder: winning a championship is incredibly difficult—and sometimes, you just need a little luck.

Boston entered the playoffs healthy, but injuries piled up quickly. Jayson Tatum suffered two different injuries, Kristaps Porziņģis came down with an unexplained illness, and Jrue Holiday strained his hamstring in Game 1. Those aren’t excuses—they’re just the reality.

As disappointing as this loss is, it’s worth remembering that until someone else hoists the trophy, the Celtics are still the reigning champions.