Why a Boston Celtics loss to the New York Knicks could have massive ramifications this NBA offseason - ESPN

LAST SUMMER, AFTER the duck boats had paraded through downtown Boston, the confetti had been swept, the cigars had been smoked, and the photos with the trophy taken, only then was it time for business.

On Monday morning, July 1, 10 days after the Boston Celtics' championship celebration, team governor Wyc Grousbeck shocked the NBA world when he announced his family was putting the controlling interest in the franchise up for sale.

Even so, the Celtics, loaded with in-their-prime talent, ran it all back. They kept their roster intact and pressed down the gas pedal, chasing a repeat and a 19th banner.

They won 61 games in the regular season and sailed through the first round of the playoffs in five games. The plan was, and is still, to win for the next six weeks — and then address the business after another parade.

But the Celtics face an unexpectedly vital Game 3 on Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, stunningly down 2-0 in their conference semifinal series with the New York Knicks.

If the Celtics can't pivot in this series — especially reversing their untimely shooting slump that has seen them miss a whopping 75 3-pointers over the first two games in blowing back-to-back 20-point second-half leads — their continued viability as a group will suddenly be in question.

No matter how this season played out, this group of champion Celtics faced an uncertain future because of how much it would cost to keep that team, masterfully constructed by team president Brad Stevens, intact.

THE CELTICS ARE being sold to a group led by investor Bill Chisholm at a valuation of more than $6 billion, a record-setting transaction that thrilled NBA power brokers and made everyone feel good about the health of the league.

Chisholm, a