Heading into their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup with the New York Knicks, the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics were favored to make it to their fourth straight conference final.
But an unexpected three-point overtime loss in Game 1 set the tone for what has been a substandard showing from the No. 2 team in the East, which won the third-most games in the NBA during the regular season (61).
Boston dropped Game 2 by a single point before rebounding with a dominant 115-93 Game 3 win, but things only got worse from there.
Not only did Boston lose Game 4 by a decisive 121-113 score, it also lost superstar forward Jayson Tatum to a ruptured Achilles late in the fourth quarter.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dunks the ball in the second half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dunks the ball in the second half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Though he had surgery to repair it on Tuesday, Tatum is likely looking at a long road to recovery. Typically, physical therapy and rehab for Achilles injuries takes 6-9 months after surgery, and the timetable most athletes face for full recovery is roughly 6-12 months, putting Tatum’s status for next season in question.
Given the uncertain timeline for Tatum to return, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes his injury could force a shake up to the team’s current core.
“I think the best and the safest thing to say is that the Boston Celtics as presently constructed — what we saw throughout this season — is no more. You won’t see that starting five together again. Pieces will be moved. How they’ll move them, what level of compensation they’ll get in return, we shall see.
“But I think what’s at stake for the Celtics right now is, simply put, their future, because what we’ve seen from them is no more. Tatum is not going to be there, by the time he comes back ready to go, I don’t think the team as presently constructed will remain intact.”
Down 3-1 in their series against the Knicks, the chances the Celtics extend their season past the second round is improbable.
It seems unlikely both Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis will be back next season (both could potentially be gone by the time Tatum returns), and Al Horford turns 39 next month and will be 40 by the time Tatum likely returns.
General manager Brad Stevens has some difficult decisions to make this offseason, and one might be pulling the trigger on a serious facelift with an eye toward the 2026 season when Tatum will be 100%.