From 4-1 to close to being eliminated! The defending champion fell, the boss was overrated, you don t have a championship

When the timer's zero-up beep sounded at the Boston North Shore Garden Arena, 20,000 spectators seemed to have been pressed to mute the button. The defending champion lost two consecutive games at home, which is not only the first time that the Celtics have lost two consecutive home games in the playoffs, but also put this 64-win regular season super battleship into a 0-2 abyss. Interestingly, before the series started, the Celtics' chance of winning was as high as 83% in the promotion probability given by the data model.

This team, known for its iron-blooded defense, has shown a suffocating dominance in the regular season. They averaged 109.2 points per game, ranking second in the league in defensive efficiency. But the playoff stage seemed to have caused a crack in their steel defense line - facing the Knicks' impact, the Celtics allowed their opponents to grab 27 frontcourt rebounds in the two games, and lost points in the penalty area to an astonishing 98 points. What is even more puzzling is that when the game entered a critical moment with a score difference of less than five points in the last five minutes, the team, which had the highest winning percentage of the regular season, dropped sharply to 31.4%.

In contrast, the New York Legion, the Iron Army built by Thibaud is writing a new legend. Brunson scored 29 points while sending 6 assists, five of which were converted into three-pointers. This defender, who is only 1.88 meters tall, has even surpassed Lillard at the critical moment of the series (1.28 points per leg). What's even more terrifying is that the Knicks' three-point shooting percentage in the fourth quarter was as high as 42.9%, which allowed them to always find a way to break through in seemingly desperate situations. There is a more cruel truth behind the data. Tatum made only 1 goal in the fourth quarter of the first two games of the series. The super forward, who averaged 30+10 games in the finals last season, seemed to have been cast in the decisive moment. In sharp contrast, Jaylen Brown's fatal mistake in the last moment of G1 made the team's victory vain. The struggle of this pair of Gemini exposed the fatal flaws in the Celtics system: when tactical execution is blocked, they lack a real killer move. The shadow of the

medical room also enveloped the wealthy family. Porzingis' continued absence makes the inside rotation difficult, and Horford's 37-year-old body cannot withstand Mitchell Robinson's bombardment. Worse, substitute center Connet sprained his wrist in G2, forcing Mazula to use a three-back lineup. This forced change of formation allowed the Knicks to take the lead in the penalty area, and the second offensive scored a huge gap of 36-12. The game on the

tactical board is also intriguing. The Magic Ball System created by Stevens reached its peak this season, ranking second in the league in averaging 42.1 three-point shooting per game in the regular season. But the intensity of the playoffs made this periphery-dependent style of play fatigue- when the three-point shooting percentage dropped from 38.8% in the regular season to 33.5%, the team lacked an effective Plan B. In contrast, the Knicks have cracked the passwords of modern basketball in the most classic way: tough physical confrontation, tireless rebounding, and never giving up fighting spirit. The ghost of history is hovering over Boston. There have been 445 series in NBA history that are behind 0-2, and only 33 reversals have been completed. What is even more disturbing is that the Celtics have only successfully turned the tables in 13 0-2 starts in history. When asked how to deal with the dilemma, Mazula's response paled and unable to maintain confidence, continuing this stylized answer, in stark contrast to Tin's declaration of treating each game as the last.

Perhaps the real crisis is hidden deeper. Salary expert Bobby Marks pointed out that the core lineup salary that the Celtics need to pay in the next three years will break through the luxury tax line, which means their championship window is slowly closing. Tatum's maximum salary contract will take effect next season, and the renewal of key rotation players such as Horford and White is imminent. Is this invisible pressure eroding the chemical reaction in the locker room?

In the visiting team locker room in Madison Square Garden, black and white photos of the Knicks' victory in the 1973 championship were hung. Today, this new generation of New York Legion is writing history in a similar way: the extreme squeeze of seven-player rotation, the fighting spirit of every goal, and the super carry of the core players. When Brunson roared and beat the chest as he hit the two in the last moment of G2, perhaps the ultimate metaphor for this series.

The Celtics have less time to adjust. Data shows that in the 7 4-win series, the team that fell behind 0-3 has never completed a reversal. What Boston needs to solve is not only a tactical problem, but also a need to regain the heart of the champion who belongs to the defending champion. The next road trip will become the ultimate test to test the quality of this luxury battleship.