NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 16: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks strips the ball from Jaylen … More
For Celtics’ star Jaylen Brown, losing to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals felt like “death.”
Boston, the defending NBA champions, entered the series with their Atlantic Division rivals as heavy favorites to advance with series odds ranging from -750 to -1000. But after Jayson Tatum went down with a torn Achilles in Game 4, the script flipped and the underdog Knicks were expected to win.
“Losing to the Knicks feels like death, but I was always taught that there’s life after death, so we’ll get ready for whatever’s next,” Brown told reporters after the Knicks walloped the Celtics 119-81 before their home fans at Madison Square Garden to win the series 4-2. “Whatever’s next in the journey, I’ll be ready for.”
Not every Celtic felt the same way after being ousted in the second round.
Kristaps Porzingis, who was drafted 4th overall by the Knicks in 2015 and played for them for four seasons before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks, said he was actually “happy” for his former team.
“The support from the Knicks fans was through the roof tonight and all throughout the playoffs,” he said. “Unbelievable fans, unbelievable city and there’s a side of me that’s very, very happy for them. I wish them nothing but the best, they’re class players that we played against. They’ve done great things and I wish them nothing but success.”
A little more than a month ago, on April 8, Porzingis torched the Knicks for 34 points on 8-for-13 shooting from deep when the Celtics beat the Knicks 119-117 at the Garden.
But in the playoffs, he battled a viral illness that made it hard for him to breathe at times. In Friday’s Game 6, Porzingis came off the bench and played just 11 minutes, scoring four points with five rebounds and a block.
“I always try to downplay it in my own mind,” he told reporters. “It’s like, ‘I’m good, I’m good.’ But I think just, I don’t know, my system is not perfect right now. It’s not working the way it should be. Many weird things and it might be that the best thing I need right now is just rest. Get somewhere in the sun and let my system kind of even itself out. But it’s definitely a very frustrating time for me.”
As for the coaches, some talking heads said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was on the hot seat entering the series. But now he’s guided the franchise to its first appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000.
The Knicks will have homecourt advantage against the Indiana Pacers – the team that beat them in seven games in the conference semifinals a year ago – beginning Wednesday night at the Garden.
“I’m happy for Thibs, he’s been coaching for a long time,” Mazzulla said. “To me, that’s the biggest thing, is you pay your dues, you put forth everything. That guy’s a lifer, man. He’s everything a coach is all about and he deserves it. …They deserve it as a team and you gotta tip your hat off to him.”