The Boston Celtics are setting all types of file within the Japanese Convention semifinals. None of them are good.
Two days after blowing a 20-point lead in a humiliating loss to the New York Knicks, the Celtics, effectively, they blew a 20-point lead in a humiliating loss to the New York Knicks. It was an echo that defied perception, proper up till Jayson Tatum’s last-gasp drive culminated in a Mikal Bridges steal, the identical means Sport 1 ended.
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So now the Celtics are down 0-2 in a sequence the place they’ve held a mixed 40-point lead in two video games. Let’s simply say they’re fairly lucky their title final yr continues to be there to discourage the pundits from actually working them over.
How badly have the Celtics flubbed this sequence? Sufficient that the Cleveland Cavaliers may really feel sympathy for them.
For starters, they’re the primary staff within the NBA’s play-by-play period to lose two video games after main by not less than 20 factors in a single postseason. Word how that stat does not function a “back-to-back” qualifier.
No NBA staff has blown two playoff leads like these Celtics, and so they did it in consecutive video games.
Distress, after all, loves firm. For months, a Celtics-Cavaliers Japanese Convention finals has been handled like one thing resembling an eventuality. They have been the clear two greatest groups within the East.
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And now they’re each down 0-2 towards lesser groups, with the Cavaliers presently trailing the Indiana Pacers. The NBA has by no means seen groups with their degree of file down like this within the second spherical, and so they’re there collectively.
It isn’t even just like the Celtics had a bent to blow leads this season. They misplaced a grand complete of 1 sport in the course of the common season after constructing a 20-point lead, on their approach to a 61-21 season.
And Bridges particularly deserves particular recognition. Not solely did he seal each wins over the Celtics with steals, he additionally scored 14 of the Knicks 30 factors within the fourth quarter on Wednesday, after getting into the body with zero factors.
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That represents a playoff profession excessive for a single quarter.
From a large perspective, although, the Celtics’ ache is consistent with a wider theme of this postseason.
Boston’s loss was the fifth comeback win from not less than 20 factors down within the 2025 NBA playoffs, which is already a file even supposing we’re not even midway by means of the second spherical.
These losses are:
Extremely, 4 of these 5 video games function both the Pacers (in a great way) or the Celtics (in a nasty means).
There truly might have been six of those two, had Aaron Gordon just been a bit of bit slower with a putback dunk in Sport 3 towards the Los Angeles Clippers.
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Regardless of starting with some overwhelming favorites to not less than attain the convention semifinals, this yr’s playoffs has already delivered a historic quantity of comebacks and a pair Sport 7s. You’ll be able to solely surprise what else it has in retailer.
The Celtics have just a few performs they want again towards the Knicks. (AP Photograph/Charles Krupa)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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