The Boston Celtics’ chances of repeating as NBA champions have looked very good over the past couple of months. But those chances were dealt a sizable blow on Monday when the team fell apart at home and lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to the New York Knicks.
Boston led by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, but it then went into a Grand Canyon-level drought, especially from 3-point range, which allowed the Knicks to make a rally and steal this contest.
However, Boston big man Al Horford was able to notch an individual accomplishment. By grabbing seven rebounds, he moved into 16th all-time in career playoff rebounds in NBA history.
Congrats to @Al_Horford of the @celtics for moving up to 16th all-time in playoff rebounds! #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google pic.twitter.com/mXSVJATOwP
— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2025
The Celtics certainly could’ve used a little more offense from Horford. He shot just 2-of-6 from the field and scored seven points in 34 minutes off the bench.
He has been a valuable player for them over the last four seasons, as he can hit from the outside, score in the post, grab rebounds and defend at a high level.
On Monday, the Celtics simply couldn’t hit shots in the second half. They shot 29.3% from the field and 26.5% from 3-point range in the third and fourth quarters, and in the fourth quarter specifically, those numbers dropped to 19% and 13.3%, respectively.
Defensively, they allowed the Knicks to start knocking down treys. In particular, Jalen Brunson, the Clutch Player of the Year, nailed three treys in the fourth quarter, while OG Anunoby had two, including one with 1:08 left in regulation that put New York up by two.
Many felt the Celtics had an easy path to the world championship last year. This time around, they will have to fight for their lives in order to earn another Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Related: Magic Johnson Sends Clear Message on Celtics’ Disappointing Loss to Knicks