Jaylen Brown addressed reporters Friday night following the Boston Celtics’ season-ending 119-81 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 6 at Madison Square Garden.
The All-Star forward, who led the Celtics with 20 points but also had seven turnovers, described the elimination as painful.
“It stings — as it should,” Brown said postgame. “Losing stings, especially finishing your season like this. But it just wasn’t our year.”
Asked to elaborate on why it didn’t feel like their year, Brown pointed to the result and a challenging season marked by injuries.
“We lost tonight,” he said. “Battling through injury, we had some ups and downs… I’m proud of our guys that came out and fought. It just sucks.”
The Celtics were without Jayson Tatum, who missed the final two games of the series due to a torn Achilles tendon.
Brown declined to go into detail on his own physical issues, stating, “Nothing to talk about right now. But we’ll see… just kind of sit back and process and see what the next steps are.”
Despite the disappointment, Brown emphasized his readiness to regroup during the offseason.
“You take time,” he said. “I’m excited… we hold our head up regardless. Losing to the Knicks feels like death. But I was always taught there’s life after death. We’ll get ready for whatever’s next.”
Brown acknowledged the abrupt ending to the year, noting, “Finishing in May feels weird. Definitely not something we were prepared for.”
He also spoke highly of Kristaps Porzingis, who attempted to play through illness and injury during the playoffs.
“KP’s been a large part of our success,” Brown said. “He wasn’t feeling his best, but we appreciate him getting out there. He helped us all year long.”
Looking back on the 61-win campaign and failed title defense, Brown credited head coach Joe Mazzulla and the team’s mentality.
“Joe prepared us as best he could. We had a great mindset, great mentality. Just had some unfortunate events.”
Asked to compare this postseason loss to previous years, Brown said falling short after winning the 2024 NBA title felt even more painful.
“It feels the same. It almost feels worse,” he said. “We were trying to do something special — go back-to-back. It probably stings even more.”
Brown expressed pride in the locker room’s unity, describing the group as “a bunch of great selfless guys” who showed up to compete each day.
He ended the presser with a message to Boston and its fans.
“This journey is not the end,” he said. “I know Boston — it looks gloomy right now… but there’s a lot to look forward to. And I want the city to feel excited about that.”
