Why Celtics' Historic Playoff Collapse Vs. 76ers Looks Even Worse Now
The New York Knicks just dumped a ton of salt in Boston's wound.
Why Celtics' Historic Playoff Collapse Vs. 76ers Looks Even Worse Now originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
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.