Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce did not hold back when reflecting on the team’s second-round playoff loss to the New York Knicks last season.
In an interview with Heavy.com’s Steve Bulpett, Pierce said the Celtics “blew that series” despite entering as the defending NBA champions and heavy favorites to repeat.
“Yeah, I think they blew that series. Absolutely. They had 20-point leads in the first two games — at home — and they lost them both? Yeah, they blew that series. That had nothing to do with the Knicks’ talent and all that,” Pierce said.
Boston’s collapse in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden highlighted the frustration for Pierce and fans. The Celtics led by 14 in the third quarter but trailed by nine with under three minutes to play, shortly before Jayson Tatum left with a season-ending Achilles injury.
Pierce pointed to the Celtics’ offensive style as a factor in their inability to hold leads. “They’ve been a team over the last few years that’s given up big leads because they settle for the 3. You know, you live by it, you die by it,” Pierce said.
The defending champions had cruised past the Orlando Magic in five games in the first round but could not sustain momentum against New York, who eliminated them in six games. It marked the seventh straight season without a repeat champion and the first time Boston failed to reach the conference finals since 2021.
The former Finals MVP acknowledged the contradiction in criticizing the Celtics’ reliance on perimeter shooting, noting that the same approach powered their 2024 championship run. “But when you win a championship, what you gonna say? What you gonna say, tell them to play something different, take it in more when this is how they won? That’s who they are,” Pierce added.
For Boston, the loss ended hopes of back-to-back titles for the first time since 1969. The team is now preparing for the 2025–26 season under new ownership, with first-round draft pick Hugo González and second-rounder Noah Penda joining the roster.
While the roster remains strong with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Anfernee Simons, the absence of Tatum to start the season looms large. His recovery timeline could define whether the Celtics remain contenders in the Eastern Conference.
