Well, this escalated quickly.

The Boston Celtics didn’t just take an “L” in Game 4 against the Knicks — they got handed a full-on Madison Square Garden Masterclass, wrapped in a Jalen Brunson-sized nightmare, sealed with a Karl-Anthony Towns bow. Oh, and as if things couldn’t get worse, Jayson Tatum, who was cooking like Gordon Ramsay in the playoffs kitchen, exited the game in a wheelchair. Yes, a wheelchair. That wasn’t just MSG drama, that was full-blown Shakespeare in Jordans. But wait, there’s more!

The Celtics head coach, Joe Mazzulla, addressed the media post-game and revealed the vibes in the locker room are shakier than Kristaps Porzingis trying to guard Towns with a 7-foot flu. And boy, did Joe have some things to say. Let’s start with Coach Mazzulla’s brutally honest opening take:

“Yeah, I mean, tonight, you know, we didn’t play well defensively and, you know, we’re in a hole and, you know, we got to get back to Boston and, you know, we got to figure out a way to win,” he said. Guess what? We know.

And we also know the Knicks outscored Boston 37-22 in that third quarter — a stretch so disastrous it deserves its own ‘ESPN 30 for 30: What If You Just Didn’t Play Defense?’

Mazzulla continued: “They got the best of us, especially in that third quarter with their pace, their offensive execution. I thought their pressure took us out of a lot of our actions and took away our rhythm.”

Translation: the Knicks bullied us like we owed them rent. Brunson and Bridges were swapping buckets like it was a 2K MyPark run. The Celtics, on the other hand, looked like they accidentally downloaded the demo version of their offense.

Jayson Tatum: From Hero to Heartbreak

Before the injury, Tatum was absolutely HIM. We’re talking 42 points on 16-of-28 shooting, seven threes, and four steals. He looked like he was about to drop a 50-piece and moonwalk into Celtics lore. But then disaster struck — a non-contact ankle injury that had him exiting in a wheelchair.

The air left the building faster than Celtics fans left Twitter. Tatum’s absence wasn’t just a physical blow — it deflated the whole team. Jaylen Brown tried to step up with 20 points but couldn’t avoid foul trouble. Derrick White had a solid 23, but the spark was gone. With no Tatum and Porzingis playing like a haunted scarecrow (7 points, 2-of-6 shooting, invisible defense), Boston’s offense unraveled like a Target sweater in a washing machine.

While the Celtics were melting down, Jalen Brunson was building a legacy. The man cooked up 39 points and 12 assists like it was just another Monday. He hunted Al Horford in isolation like it was open season on 38-year-olds, while Karl-Anthony Towns played the smoothest 23-11 game you’ll ever see. KAT shot 11-of-15 from the field — Celtics defenders bounced off him like toddlers trying to tackle a linebacker.

Mikal Bridges also added 23 points of his own, and OG Anunoby? Silent assassin mode: 20 points, efficient as ever. And the Knicks’ bench? Didn’t do much. Didn’t need to. When your starting lineup is that hot, Cameron Payne’s 0-of-3 means less than Joe Mazzulla’s in-game adjustments.

Joe continued his confessional tour: “I think it was the rebounding and the transition that got us… they beat us on the boards. I think they won the shot margin tonight.”

Correct again. The Knicks out-rebounded Boston 43-31. Mitchell Robinson grabbed 8 boards in just 25 minutes, and even Josh Hart snagged 9 rebounds while scoring just 6 points. The Celtics looked allergic to boxing out. It was as if someone told them the Knicks’ paint was lava.

“Their switching, their pre-switches… slowed us down and got the best of our pace…” Yep, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau deployed the ol’ switcheroo, and Boston’s offense responded like a confused dad trying to set up Netflix. Just painful. Joe tried to end on a note of optimism: “They’ll be ready… It’s the locker room that they have, and they’ll be ready. You trust the character of the guys in moments like this.”

We respect the confidence, Mazzulla. But it might take more than locker room vibes to recover from what just happened in Game 4. Because it wasn’t just Tatum’s injury — it was the exposed flaws. The over-reliance on threes. The stubborn rotations. The lack of answers when Brunson and KAT start cooking.

The Celtics head back to Boston down 3–1, without confirmation on Tatum’s availability, and with more questions than answers. They’ve still got championship-caliber talent — but the Knicks have stolen the momentum, the Garden is a madhouse, and the internet? Oh, it’s having a field day.

And if Game 4 was any indication, Boston better pack more than just their green jerseys. They’ll need duct tape, prayer circles, and maybe… just maybe… a new game plan. Because right now? The only thing in worse shape than Jayson Tatum’s ankle is the Celtics’ chance of making it out of Round 2.