Jaylen Brown did not mince words after the Celtics’ 121-113 loss to the Knicks in Game 4, placing blame on Boston’s defense and acknowledging the emotional weight of Jayson Tatum’s late-game injury.
Speaking postgame, Brown repeatedly pointed to a lack of defensive effort as the primary factor in the defeat, saying, “Just no resistance.”
Brown, who finished with 20 points, emphasized that despite shooting well, the team failed to match the Knicks’ intensity on the other end of the floor.
“Our defense let us down,” Brown said. “Offense was great. Offense was fine. We made a lot of shots. But just no resistance on defense.”
The loss pushed Boston to the brink of elimination, now trailing 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Tatum, who scored 42 points before collapsing with a non-contact right leg injury late in the fourth quarter, was the center of concern in the Celtics’ locker room.
Brown said the team was still processing the situation.
“I didn’t get a chance to talk to [Jayson],” he said. “I think tonight is tough. I think everybody’s kind of in a — a loss for words.”
Asked how the team plans to regroup ahead of Game 5 in Boston, Brown focused on resetting mentally.
“Tomorrow’s a new day, and we go from there,” he said.
Brown declined to speculate on the long-term implications of Tatum’s injury but acknowledged the emotional toll it had taken.
“I got no words right now,” he said when pressed about what it could mean for the franchise.
Despite the setbacks, the All-Star forward stressed belief in the locker room and a renewed focus on staying alive in the postseason.
“We got enough in this locker room, so I believe in my guys,” Brown stated. “Get ready to fight. Get ready to come out on the floor and do what we need to do.”
The Celtics led by 11 at halftime but were outscored 37-23 in the third quarter and surrendered another Knicks run in the fourth.
New York’s Jalen Brunson finished with 39 points and 12 assists while three other Knicks starters scored at least 20.
Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday at TD Garden.
Brown said the Celtics would use the night to reflect before regrouping in the morning.
“We’ll take the night and pick our heads up tomorrow and put together a game plan to come out on our own floor to keep this series alive,” he said.
The Celtics now face the challenge of trying to become the 14th team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 series deficit.
