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If you’ve ever seen Dave Portnoy after a Patriots loss, you know the man doesn’t hold back. Now imagine him watching his beloved Celtics blow a second 20-point lead in back-to-back playoff games — at home. You might want to hide your remote because that’s how screens get smashed. After the 91-90 collapse in Game 2 against the New York Knicks, Portnoy took to social media and echoed what most of Boston was thinking: “You should be embarrassed.”

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And who could argue? The Celtics were up 20 points. Again. They had the Garden crowd rocking. Again. And they still managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory… again.

Amid the chaos of Boston’s back-to-back collapses, Celtics superfan and Barstool Sports president Dave Portnoy gave an emotional but oddly optimistic take. In a video reacting to the loss, he said: “Like, maybe I’m being naive. I still think the Celtics are going to win this series. Like, I just can’t wrap my brain around the Celtics losing to the Knicks..

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His disbelief reflects what many Celtics fans are feeling — not just frustration, but outright confusion. Boston has dominated all year, and yet suddenly looks lost when it matters most. And Portnoy’s rambling mix of optimism and denial might be the perfect summary of how the fanbase is coping.

Let’s get into the meltdown. With under three minutes to go, Joe Mazzulla thought he was playing 4D chess by intentionally fouling Mitchell Robinson — a 52% free-throw shooter who had just clanked one of the worst bricks in NBA playoff history. Seriously, it was like he aimed for the shot clock.

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But plot twist: that one move ended up unraveling everything. While Robinson only shot two free throws before being yanked, the Knicks, now in the bonus, let actual shooters take over. Towns bullied Horford for an and-one, Josh Hart splashed daggers, and Mikal Bridges once again proved he has a PhD in timely steals.

Robinson, meanwhile, might’ve missed the free throw like it owed him money, but he still finished +19. That’s not just rent-free in Boston’s head — that’s owning beachfront property.

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Tatum’s Nightmare Ends With Another Bridges Heist

The final possession said it all. One point down, Jayson Tatum found himself with a mismatch on Robinson. But instead of attacking, he hesitated, the Knicks swarmed, and he dished it—right into the path of Mikal Bridges, who picked it off like a Sunday stroll. Game over. Just like Game 1, where Bridges stole it from Jaylen Brown. That man’s basically robbing the Celtics blind and calling it art.

Now, Portnoy, who’s never shy with his fandom or fury, went scorched earth. In a tweet that felt like a digital slap to the face, he let the team have it for folding again under pressure, especially Tatum, who’s somehow playing the most passive superstar basketball this side of 2017 Paul George.

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As if things weren’t shaky enough, Kristaps Porzingis still looks like he’s trying to run on dial-up Wi-Fi. After missing Game 1 with an illness, he returned for Game 2 but clearly wasn’t himself. He dropped 8 points in 14 minutes but looked gassed and out of rhythm. After the game, even he admitted, “I’m just not feeling my best at all… It kills me inside that it’s happening in this moment.” Celtics fans are already praying to the basketball gods for a Game 3 turnaround, but it’s clear they need Porzingis at full strength, not just showing up.

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The Knicks, meanwhile, look like the hungrier team. Brunson is playing like a closer, Josh Hart is suddenly Ray Allen from deep, Towns is eating on the boards, and Bridges is straight-up haunting Boston’s top stars. All this while Tom Thibodeau is outcoaching Joe Mazzulla like it’s a masterclass.

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Game 3 heads to Madison Square Garden. The Celtics are down 0-2 and reeling. Dave Portnoy isn’t just mad — he’s reflective. If this team doesn’t bounce back with fire, heart, and literally any in-game awareness, the summer vacation’s coming early.

Because let’s face it: if blowing one 20-point lead is bad, doing it twice is downright criminal.

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