Celtics face hazy future after surprising playoff exit vs. Knicks - ESPN

NEW YORK — A 38-point defeat in an elimination game has a way of hurrying the stages of loss. The Boston Celtics were at acceptance by the time they left Madison Square Garden on Friday night.

A 119-82 drubbing at the hands of the New York Knicks ended the teams' Eastern Conference semifinal series in six games and the Celtics' time as NBA champions with a finality.

«Finishing in May feels weird, it's definitely not something we were prepared for,» said Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who fouled out before the end of the third quarter after scoring 20 points but with seven turnovers. «Things didn't go our way this year, and it's unfortunate. But we hold our head up regardless. 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 in the journey.»

Though they rallied for a victory in Game 5 that forced a return trip to New York and the hope of a rare 3-1 comeback, the Celtics were never the same after seeing star teammate Jayson Tatum go down with a torn Achilles tendon in Monday's Game 4.

But after the Knicks twice came back from 20 points down in the second half to steal Games 1 and 2 in Boston and then the total domination that played out in Game 6, the Celtics were also prepared to congratulate their once heavy underdog opponent.

«We ran into a great team. you have to tip your hat off to the Knicks,» Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. «They outplayed us. They played better.»

There was no big lead for the Celtics to blow Friday. The Knicks led wire-to-wire and were up by as many as 41 points. New York displayed tremendous defensive energy, holding the Celtics to 33% shooting in the first half when the tone of the game was established.

Mazzulla