Celtics
“Losing to the Knicks feels like death. But I was always taught that there’s life after death, so we’ll get ready for whatever’s next in the journey.”
The Celtics lost by 38 points in a win-or–go-home Game 6 in front of a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
By Kaley Brown
May 17, 2025 | 8:34 AM
4 minutes to read
The Celtics saw their season come to a heartbreaking end in New York City on Friday night.
Falling 119-81 to the Knicks in Game 6, Boston couldn’t keep their momentum from Game 5 going and force a Game 7.
Veterans Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White no-showed in the win-or-go-home contest. Every healthy member of the roster ended up getting minutes to reach 0:00 on the clock, and the 2024-25 season.
Here’s what the team said postgame from Madison Square Garden.
Joe Mazzulla
“At the end of the day, we set a goal out, and we didn’t achieve that goal,” the Celtics head coach said. “But that shouldn’t take away from the mindset and effort that the players put in. We have a responsibility to ownership — we didn’t do it. But the approach, the process, you can’t ask for anymore from the guys. I thought they gave everything they had throughout the season. Obviously we didn’t achieve that, but you can’t take away from what they did. This is the price you pay for trying to go after something. That’s how it goes. Really just thankful to the guys.
Advertisement:
“I told the guys in the locker room, one of the honors of my life was being able to coach this group. You go down the list, every one of those guys is a champion, a warrior. They’ve done a lot of great things in this league. It’s an honor to be able to share a locker room with these guys, be next to them on the court, and be in the arena with them. I’m grateful for that. To me, it just shows who they are as people and who they are as players. But that’s really what it’s all about, is those guys. They came in and we had a legit shot at it. They gave everything they had to try to go, but we ran into a better team.
Joe Mazzulla, reflecting on this #Celtics group:
“I told the guys in the locker room, one of the honors of my life was being able to coach this group. You go down the list, every one of those guys is a champion, a warrior. They’ve done a lot of great things in this league.” pic.twitter.com/Gi3Newvcm5
— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) May 17, 2025
“I told the guys in the locker room, one of the honors of my life was being able to coach this group of guys.”
Jaylen Brown
“You take time, sit back, and kind of figure it out,” Jaylen Brown said. “But I’m excited. Things didn’t go your way this year, things didn’t go our way this year, and it’s unfortunate. But we hold our head up regardless.
Advertisement:
“Losing to the Knicks feels like death. But I was always taught that there’s life after death, so we’ll get ready for whatever’s next in the journey. I’ll be ready for it.
“I don’t make no excuses, obviously. It’s tough the way we went out like tonight. But the way we finished the year – personally, the way I finished the year, persevering through some physical stuff that I was battling through – I’m proud of our group.I thought that we fought. We was in a lot of battles. It’s a lot to be excited for. This journey is not the end, it’s not the end for me. Look forward to coming back stronger. You just take this with your chin up. I know Boston — it looks gloomy right now, obviously with [Jayson Tatum] being out, and us ending the year, but it’s a lot to look forward to. I want the city to feel excited about that. This is not the end. I’m looking forward to what’s next.”
Derrick White
“It sucks. You’re never gonna get this season back,” Derrick White said. “You’re never gonna have the exact same team again. Obviously there was some highs, and obviously some lows of a season, but at the moment, you’re just kind of down.
“I just love playing with the guys that we have in that locker room. It’s a great group of guys that compete at a high level. Off the court, just had a lot of fun. I think that’s what I’m probably the most proud of. Just being able to say that I put on a Boston Celtics uniform with an amazing group of people.”
Kristaps Porzingis
“I always tried to downplay it in my own mind,” Kristaps Porzingis said of the illness that plagued him this postseason. “My system is not perfect right now. It’s not working the way it should be. Many, many weird things. That might be the best thing I need right now is just rest. Get some sun and let my system kind of even itself out. It’s definitely a very, very frustrating time for me.
Advertisement:
“Nobody is really clear on what I’m going through.
“The support from the Knicks fans was through the roof tonight and all throughout the playoffs. Unbelievable fans, unbelievable city, and there’s a side of me that’s very, very happy, that’s very happy for them. I wish them nothing the best. They’re class players that we played against and they’ve done great things and I wish them nothing but success.”
"The support from the Knicks fans was through the roof tonight and all throughout the playoffs. Unbelievable fans, unbelievable city and there's a side of me that's very very happy for them"
– Kristaps Porzingis pic.twitter.com/x3zPbEVcUb
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 17, 2025
Profile image for Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown
Sports producer
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
Sign up for Celtics updates🏀
Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during basketball season.