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The hole grows even deeper for the Boston Celtics

The hole grows even deeper for the Boston Celtics

The defending NBA champion Boston Celtics are in a 2-0 series deficit after yet another late-game collapse at the hands of the New York Knicks.

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Sherrod Blakely
May 08, 2025
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Full Court Press Newsletter
Full Court Press Newsletter
The hole grows even deeper for the Boston Celtics
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Jrue Holiday (left) and Jaylen Brown (right), are among the many Boston Celtics players struggling to find answers after a second consecutive home playoff loss. Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON — You knew at some point, the Boston Celtics’ dominance over the New York Knicks had to come to an end.

But in the playoffs?

Yes, the Celtics find themselves in the most precarious of positions after suffering a 91-90 Game 2 loss to New York, putting the Celtics in a 2-0 series hole with Games 3 and 4 in Madison Square Garden.

Jayson Tatum had a pass deflected in the closing seconds, leading to a turnover and with it, ending Boston’s last shot at redemption in a series that has not gone according to anyone’s plan outside of the New York Knicks payroll.

If Celtics fans felt like they were seeing the same movie again in Game 2, they were.

For the second time in as many games, Boston would pull ahead by at least 20 points, only to endure a stretch of offensive ineptitude that allowed New York to inch closer and ultimately, overtake Boston and get the win.

While Game 3 isn’t necessarily a must-win game, a third loss in as many games to the Knicks would all but secure Boston’s reign atop the NBA landscape coming to an unofficial end.

No team in NBA history has ever rallied to win a playoff series after dropping the first three games.

Here are some of the Stars, Studs and Duds from Boston’s 91-90 Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks.

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