The Celtics may battle their way to two more wins in a refusal to go out silently, but New York has reduced them to an erratic collection of deep gunners who cannot find consistency on offense. Boston’s interior game looks even less effective with Kristaps Porzingis trying to work through an illness.

The Celtics now find themselves in a 0-2 hole vs. the Knicks in their 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals second round series currently underway, and will need to win four of the five remaining contests left in the East Semis series to advance to the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Finals to face the winner of the concurrent Indiana Pacers - Cleveland Cavaliers East Semis series.

The Knicks Wednesday came back from yet another 20-point, third-quarter deficit and beat the Celtics, 91-90, to take a 2-0 series lead back to Madison Square Garden Saturday afternoon. This means the defending world champion Boston Celtics have put themselves into a must-win game in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs.

Pierce was so dedicated to showing that he was a man of his word that his former Celtics teammate and fellow Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett appeared to come and check on him while driving by. After Garnett saw Pierce was OK, he just egged him on to keep going while Pierce chuckled:

The Hall of Famer is making the trek after he appeared on FS1 ahead of Game 2 and vowed to walk to the studio on Thursday if the Celtics lost.