The Philadelphia 76ers' second-round demolition at the hands of the New York Knicks has sent shockwaves through the NBA—and it raises a crucial question for the Boston Celtics: just how good was their defense this postseason?
For the first time since 2021, the Celtics exited the playoffs in the first round, losing to their bitter rivals, the Sixers. Many Boston fans may have tuned out after that early exit, but the games that followed offered a revealing look at what went wrong. On Sunday, May 10, the Knicks dismantled the Sixers 144-114, sweeping them out of the second round in brutal fashion. It marked the first time since 2021 that a team that eliminated the Celtics failed to advance to the next round—and the first time since 2018 that a Boston playoff conqueror was swept in the very next series.
So, what does this tell the Celtics? For one, it suggests that the second-seeded team wasn't as close to a championship as some might have believed. That's not news to the front office. Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens didn't mince words during his exit interview, acknowledging the need for roster improvements and owning the team's playoff shortcomings. "When you get beat in the first round, you're not there," Stevens said bluntly. "So we need to be."
The key culprit? Defense. Despite boasting the fourth-best defensive rating in the regular season, Boston slipped to eighth among the 16 playoff teams. That drop-off was stark, and the Sixers-Knicks series only confirmed it. In the first round, Philadelphia's star trio—Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid—dominated the Celtics. Maxey averaged nearly 27 points per game, shot 42% from three-point range, and committed barely more than one turnover per outing.
But in the very next series against New York, Maxey's production cratered. The star point guard averaged just 18.3 points and 3.5 turnovers per game, while shooting a dismal 16% from beyond the arc. That kind of defensive clampdown from the Knicks puts Boston's own struggles into sharp perspective. For a team that prides itself on defensive identity, the Celtics have plenty of work to do if they want to avoid being the team that gets swept next time.