The Celtics will have to wait at least one more night to officially secure the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Needing just one win or a Knicks loss to clinch, Boston had a chance to lock it up against New York, but fell short in a 112-106 thriller that featured 16 lead changes and 13 ties.
On the first night of a back-to-back, the Celtics were without Jaylen Brown, who missed his 10th game of the season.
With the win, New York claimed the season series, 3-1, the first time it has done so since 2022-23.
Jayson Tatum (24 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists), Payton Pritchard (23 points, 6 assists), and Baylor Scheierman (20 points, 4 rebounds) led the way for Boston, which finishes the season 26–15 on the road with a +7.6 point differential, the best mark in the Eastern Conference.
Josh Hart (26 points, 3 assists) and Jalen Brunson (25 points, 10 assists) powered the Knicks, who have now won four straight.
Here are seven takeaways as the Celtics fall to 54-26.
The Celtics struggled to make shots early
It felt like hopping in a time machine back to the Eastern Conference semifinals last May, as the Celtics again struggled to knock down open looks.
Boston shot just 5-of-21 (23.8%) from three in the first half. Jayson Tatum (0-for-5) and Derrick White (0-for-4) combined to go 0-for-9, while Sam Hauser (2-for-5) was the only Celtic to hit multiple threes before the break.
It’ll be interesting to see the tracking data, as several of the misses came on wide-open looks, much like last spring.
As a result, Boston, which likely should have held a halftime lead, instead went into the break trailing by one.
The shots fell in the second half, but the defense faltered
The Celtics found their rhythm in the second half, finally starting to convert the looks that had eluded them earlier.
Boston shot 25-of-38 (52.6%) from the field and 11-of-22 (50.0%) from three after the break. But, much like last spring, the offense wasn’t the issue down the stretch, it was the inability to get stops.
New York delivered its best offensive quarter of the night in the fourth, scoring 31 points on 12-of-18 (66.7%) shooting from the field and 4-of-7 (57.1%) from deep.
The Celtics were ultimately outscored 31–23 in the final frame. Shotmaking was a major story in this one.
Josh Hart made the Celtics pay
The Celtics were willing to live with Josh Hart, who entered the night shooting 2-of-10 from three over his last four games, taking open looks from beyond the arc.
He made them pay.
Hart finished with 26 points on 5-of-7 (71.4%) shooting from three. Fifteen of his 26 came in the fourth quarter, when he went 6-of-7 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from deep.
When New York’s role players get going like that, especially from beyond long range, they’re tough to beat.
Jayson Tatum made his return to Madison Square Garden
For the first time since rupturing his Achilles in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals last May, Jayson Tatum returned to Madison Square Garden, the building where the injury occurred.
Ahead of the game, Tatum admitted he felt anxiety and nerves, and despite the loss, he said he was relieved to get through the mental hurdle.
“It was a big moment, a big hurdle for me. I was nervous and anxious to come back here,” Tatum said. “Obviously, I wanted to win and play great, but, more importantly, I just kinda wanted to walk off the court on my own two feet.”
On the floor, Tatum did a little bit of everything, finishing with 24 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, a steal, and a block.
It marked his 10th double-double in 16 games since returning. He’s one of just seven players — alongside Nikola Jokic, Donovan Clingan, Jalen Duren, Jalen Johnson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Victor Wembanyama — with double-digit double-doubles since March 6, the day he returned.
But Tatum’s efficiency was an issue. He shot 7-of-22 (31.8%) from the field and 2-of-10 (20.0%) from three, and also had six turnovers, finishing at a game-worst minus-16.
The Celtics need Derrick White to find his shot
Speaking of efficiency, the Celtics need Derrick White to get back on track.
He finished 2-of-10 (20.0%) from the field and 0-of-6 from three on Thursday night, and is now shooting a career-worst 39.5% overall and 32.6% from deep.
Many, including this author, expected White’s efficiency to rise alongside the return of Jayson Tatum, given the quality of looks Tatum creates with his gravity on the floor. And while the opportunities have been there, the results haven’t followed. In 15 games alongside Tatum this season, White is shooting 42.2% from the field and 31.6% from three-point range.
The inconsistency has been a season-long theme for White, who has attempted the third-most threes in the league (631).
The Celtics will need White, a 39.5% three-point shooter in 73 career playoff games with Boston, to start knocking them down in the postseason.
Baylor Scheierman had one of his best games
Baylor Scheierman has been very impactful for the Celtics this season. It may not always show up in the box score, but headlined by his defense, rebounding, and hustle, he consistently helps tilt the margins on a night-to-night basis.
On Thursday night, though, his impact showed up in a different way.
The second-year wing out of Creighton poured in a season-high 20 points (7-of-8 FG), knocking down six threes (6-of-7) and matching his career best from deep. Seventeen of his 20 points came in the second half. He also added four rebounds.
“Obviously, shotmaking is the easiest thing to see and helps us on the scoreboard, but he just does a lot for us,” Mazzulla said. “Whether it’s his crashing or his defense, but his instincts on both ends. He’s just continuing to get better and better, and that’s what we need, hitting that stretch here.”
It’ll be interesting to see how Scheierman’s minutes shake out in the postseason, as they’ve fluctuated throughout the year. One thing is certain, though: he’s proven he can be trusted.
Nikola Vucevic continues to look shaky
Vucevic had some moments in this one, but for the most part, his minutes were once again shaky.
He finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists, knocking down two of his three three-point attempts in the second half — a welcome sign as he is shooting just 15-of-48 (31.3%) from beyond the arc since arriving in Boston. He also added two turnovers.
It’s been an unfortunate situation for Vucevic. He showed some early growing pains after the move, played just 11 games before missing a month, and has struggled to find any real rhythm since returning.
He is deserving of some grace, especially given the circumstances.
However, with just two games remaining in the regular season, time is starting to run short for Boston to figure out the fit.
Luka Garza, who had not played in the three games since Vucevic returned, played well in his absence, prompting some outside calls for him to re-enter the rotation. For now, though, the Celtics appear committed to
their trade deadline acquisition.
With the play-in period ahead, Boston will have time to get back on the practice floor at the Auerbach Center before the start of the playoffs and reset for the postseason, practice time that could be especially valuable for Vucevic as he continues to settle in.
