In the aftermath of the Boston Celtics’ 108-105 overtime loss to the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, Jrue Holiday shared his thoughts on what went wrong in the second half and his own return to action after a hamstring injury.
The Celtics were cruising with a 20-point lead midway through the third quarter, but the Knicks mounted a dramatic comeback. “Energies kind of went their way,” Holiday said, acknowledging that New York capitalized on their second unit’s ball movement and three-point shooting. “McBride had some big ones, played well, and just kind of cranked up the energy.”
Despite holding a commanding lead, Boston couldn’t maintain momentum. “We just got to keep on shooting,” Holiday added, referring to the Celtics’ struggles in the second half, where they missed several open three-pointers. “A lot of shots we felt like we make those all the time—wide-open threes, offensive rebounds, and things like that.”
Asked if New York’s defense surprised him after the break, Holiday didn’t think the Knicks changed much. “I don’t think so,” he replied, indicating that the Celtics’ woes were more about missed opportunities than anything New York did differently on defense.
This Game 1 loss marks the first time the Celtics have trailed in a playoff series this season, and Holiday knows the importance of bouncing back quickly. “It’s still 1-0,” he said, though admitting that trailing in the series changes the approach. “You just go to the drawing board. Honestly, you just go to the film and see what you did.”
The Celtics were also dealt a blow when Kristaps Porzingis, who had started the game, was sidelined in the second half due to illness. Holiday acknowledged his absence’s impact, noting, “KP is big for us,” citing the versatile big man’s ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim. “We definitely miss him, but we’ve always had this next-man-up mentality.”
Holiday also discussed the Celtics’ shooting rhythm, especially from three-point range. “I didn’t play most of these games in the other series,” he explained. “So, that could be it. It could have not been it. It’s just sometimes maybe that’s how the game goes.”
As for his own performance, Holiday seemed optimistic about his hamstring recovery. “Yeah, it felt good. No issues,” he said. “Just adrenaline kicked in, and I mean, I had great energy.”
With Game 2 just days away, Holiday and the Celtics will need to regroup after the tough loss. “We had a great first half,” he concluded. “We just got to figure out what happened.”
