#1 – Once again, lack of rebounding
The Knicks grabbed 39.6% of their misses, once again. The Celtics knew it was coming. It was written that after a difficult Game 5, the Knicks would come as aggressive as ever on the offensive glass, and yet, the Celtics didn’t do anything about it.
The hustle and the energy were on the Knicks’ side, and the Celtics didn’t fight for their lives to protect the ball and grab those rebounds.
Because yes, a good defense means nothing without a rebound to close the possession. It’s great to contest shots, but none of it matters if you give up a second one right after.
#2 – The chessboard shifts
Tom Thibodeau made one subtle adjustment: he hunted Luke Kornet on the court.
In the second half of Game 5, the Celtics were able to stop the Knicks’ offense while using Luke Kornet as a safety in the paint. The Knicks knew they had to find a way to force him away from the paint, so they ran plays where the Celtics were forced to give up that protection.
The Knicks came prepared after the loss. They weren’t going to give the Celtics another chance at the TD Garden.
#3 – Broken defense
New York took 36% of their shots at the rim, 18% in the corner. An analytical approach against a broken defense that was known to be the best at taking away those shots. To be able to perform this elite defense, you need elite players and elite execution.
With the lack of energy, Jayson Tatum missing, and Kristaps Porziņģis’ lack of juice, this couldn’t be done.
#4 – Jaylen, between creation and chaos
Jaylen Brown was the primary engine on offense, and at times, the only one creating pressure. He finished with 20 points and 6 assists, but also fouled out and turned the ball over seven times.
The usage was high, the responsibility was real, but the decision-making crumbled. It was a tough spot — and maybe too much to ask — after everything he had already given in this series, in this season.
#5 – Jrue ran out of gas
Brown needed a Robin, and Jrue Holiday couldn’t be one this time. After an impressively impactful Game 5, he became problematic in Game 6.
He shot one for eight from the field, looked slow to pull the trigger, and seemed physically drained. The passing, the dribbling, and the shooting all seemed off — as if, like most of the Celtics, he had given everything he had in Game 5.
#6 – Even Derrick White couldn’t deliver
When the Celtics are down bad, there’s always Derrick White to lift them up and find a solution… but not last night. His shot selection was questionable, to say the least.
And the energy, like the rest of the guys, just wasn’t there.
#7 – A track meet they couldn’t run
If I talk a lot about energy, it’s because of one number: on every defensive rebound following a shot attempt, the Knicks scored 1.60 points per possession.
The Knicks outran Boston, and the champ couldn’t set their defense, couldn’t stop the ball, and couldn’t communicate in time. Some of it is effort. Some of it is fatigue. All of it is unacceptable at this stage of the Playoffs, in a must-win game.
#8 – Maybe this was the last ride
Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porziņģis are under long-term contracts, but in this new cap reality, nobody is untouchable — especially before a season with Jayson Tatum sidelined for a year.
Luke Kornet is a free agent. And while it’s too soon to speculate, it’s not too soon to feel it: this might be the last time we saw this exact group together. Last night’s press conference felt like a goodbye.
#9 – The end comes fast
You don’t see it coming. One moment you’re breaking down a ghost screen in Game 5, the next it’s silence. A 38-point loss doesn’t give you time to process — it just shuts the door.
And when you zoom out, it hits even harder. Jayson Tatum, injured. The CBA, looming. The locker room, maybe changing. Just a few days ago, we were looking at the Finals matchups. Now we’re looking at exit interviews, free agents, and tickets back to France without any guarantee of being back.
I guess that’s the point of it all: it ends before you’re ready. And no matter how many games you cover, it always feels like a surprise.
#10 – Thank you
If you’re reading this, thanks. This was my 105th article this season. Overall, there were 750 takeaways. And not once did I feel like I was writing into the void. You made that possible.
Covering this team from across the ocean — from my French Alps to the TD Garden press conference — was surreal. I tried to capture the angles, the numbers, the emotion. And you read it. Merci.
