After taking a 3-1 series lead over the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs, the Boston Celtics appeared headed for a rematch with the New York Knicks in the second round.
Instead, the Celtics fumbled the series away, losing three straight games to a seven seed and crashing out of the postseason in historic fashion.
And if that wasn't bad enough, the 76ers were clearly overmatched against the Knicks, getting swept in four games.
Watching the Knicks attack Philly so smartly is basically pouring sulfuric acid on the scabs of the Celtics/Sixers series.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) May 10, 2026
New York did what Boston failed to do, destroying Philadelphia in four straight games. Only one of those games was even close, while the other three were double-digit blowouts.
The Knicks had no problem with the Sixers' defense, which limited the Celtics to 100 points or fewer in all four of Boston's losses. New York scored at least 108 points in all four wins over Philly, averaging 124.3 points per game.
In the end, the Knicks proved they were a better and more serious basketball team than the Celtics. They also made it clear that they likely would've beaten Boston again had the Celtics advanced.
Boston was favored to win the Eastern Conference when the playoffs started. Now New York is, and it's easy to see why.
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