Hall of Famer calls out Celtics for disappointing NBA Playoffs performance against Knicks

The Boston Celtics entered the 2024–25 NBA season as defending champions and heavy favorites to repeat. But things didn’t go according to plan, as Boston was eliminated in the second round after falling 4–2 to the New York Knicks.

Under head coach Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics posted an impressive regular-season record of 61–21, earning the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. They handled the Orlando Magic 4–1 in the first round, setting up a conference semifinal matchup with the Knicks.

After dropping the first two games at TD Garden, Boston couldn’t recover. A devastating Achilles tendon injury to Jayson Tatum in Game 4 only made matters worse, and the series ended with a 4–2 Knicks victory.

Despite the injury setback, Bob Cousy—a six-time NBA champion—said the Celtics simply didn’t meet the moment. Speaking to Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe, he didn’t hold back.

Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics reacts during the second quarter against the New York Knicks in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

“You have to be there to have a sense of what’s going on, and I’m not,” Cousy said. “I get the impression that [coach Joe] Mazzulla did a good job and had their attention. But in the playoffs, in my experience, the best team wins. There are upsets occasionally, but I have no understanding of how the Celtics could collapse, especially against the f— Knicks. As the Knicks proved in the next round, they were not a legitimate contender”.

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One of Boston’s biggest issues in the series was its inefficiency from beyond the arc. The Celtics shot just 25% from three in each of the first two games—going 15-for-60 in Game 1 and 10-for-40 in Game 2. In fact, their 45 missed threes in Game 1 set an NBA Playoff record.

Cousy argued that Boston’s over-reliance on the long ball hurt their chances. “I like the [three-pointer] as a weapon,” Cousy said. “But not as the first f— option. It’s always going to be there for you. It’s not something you have to create. You’re going to have it when you want it. So why eliminate the other options?”