Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown is keeping his head high after a deflating season-ending loss Friday to the New York Knicks.
The Celtics got trounced by the Knicks in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series at Madison Square Garden in New York City, N.Y. The Celtics trailed by as many as 41 points and never threatened a comeback in the Knicks’ 119-81 blowout win.
Brown became Boston’s primary option after Jayson Tatum succumbed to a serious Achilles injury in Game 4. Brown led the Celtics with 20 points but committed 7 turnovers as none of his teammates could get anything going offensively.
The four-time All-Star fouled out at the 2:50 mark of the third quarter as his Celtics trailed 84-51.
Brown had a somber, yet profound message as he spoke to reporters after the game.
“We hold our heads up regardless,” said Brown. “Losing to the Knicks feels like death, but I was taught that there’s life after death. So we’ll get ready for whatever’s next.”
"Losing to the Knicks, you know, feels like death."
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 17, 2025
Jaylen Brown after being eliminated from playoffs pic.twitter.com/ikD6mLRGmj
Brown also admitted that Boston’s situation may “look gloomy” now. However, he promised fans that “this is not the end” of the team as they know it.
There are a lot of question marks about Boston’s plans heading into the offseason. Even before Tatum’s season-ending injury, there were already rumblings that the Celtics would need to break up their current core due to a ballooning luxury tax bill.
With Tatum likely out for the rest of next season, the uncertainty surrounding the Celtics is nearing a crescendo.
