Shaquille O’Neal didn’t just throw shade at the Boston Celtics after their Game 2 meltdown—he grabbed a whole tree and launched it on live television. After Boston pulled off one of the biggest playoff choke jobs we’ve seen in a minute, giving up a 20-point second-half lead to the New York Knicks, the Big Aristotle had jokes locked, loaded, and aimed directly at Jayson Tatum and company.

“You know what rhymes with ‘what they do,’ Ernie?” Shaq asked with that signature smirk. “Down 0-2.” Brutal. Hilarious. Accurate. Let’s get one thing straight—this wasn’t just a loss. This was a full-on Celtics implosion that looked like someone hit the self-destruct button with four minutes left in the third quarter. They were up 70-50, cruising, dancing, probably already thinking about Game 3. And then? Boom. The offense crashed harder than a dial-up modem in 2004.

They scored just 20 points the rest of the game. That’s it. Twenty. Over more than a quarter of basketball. That’s like trying to win a Formula 1 race in a tricycle. The Knicks? They smelled blood and went full Wolverine mode. Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns tag-teamed Boston like it was WrestleMania. Hart had 23 points and six boards, and Towns showed why he’s built for the moment with a 21-point, 17-rebound monster performance.

Let’s also shout out Mikal Bridges—aka the guy who keeps haunting the Celtics. In Game 1, he snatched the ball from Jaylen Brown in crunch time to stop an OT push. In Game 2, it was deja vu. Jayson Tatum got Mitchell Robinson on a switch, but the Knicks swarmed him like bees at a barbecue. Tatum panicked, swung the ball out, and guess who? Yep. Bridges picked off the pass like he was Prime Revis Island.

Tom Thibodeau gushed about Bridges postgame, calling him a “great competitor.” Honestly, Bridges’ defense is the glue holding this Knicks upset run together tighter than LeBron’s hairline in 2012.

Kristaps Porzingis came back from an illness in Game 2, but let’s be real—he looked like he downloaded the flu and forgot to reboot. He logged 14 minutes, scored eight points, and grabbed four boards. Not terrible, but he admitted afterward, “I’m just not feeling my best… but who cares.” Well… Celtics fans do. A lot.

If KP isn’t right, Boston’s already slim chances are toastier than Pop-Tarts left in the toaster too long. His presence matters, especially against a Knicks squad that’s bullying the paint like it owes them money.

Boston’s love affair with the three-point shot is becoming downright tragic. Game 1? 60 attempts from downtown. They hit 15. That’s 25%, which is, for lack of a better term, ew. Game 2? They calmed down… sort of. Just 40 threes. Made 10.

Let’s highlight Derrick White for trying, at least. He had 20 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, though he still went 3-of-11 from deep. Jaylen Brown also dropped 20, but it was all downhill from there. Tatum put up 13 points and 14 boards, but couldn’t buy a bucket when it mattered most.

Shaq & Chuck Deliver the Smoke

So, when Shaq and Charles Barkley see all this? You already know TNT was lit. Chuck roasted Boston’s shot selection like he was hosting a barbecue, while Shaq hit ‘em with that now-viral punchline.

“Down 0-2” is going to live in Celtics meme history forever. Shaq said it with that goofy grin, like he already had the tweets ready. And Chuck? He didn’t even try to hide his laughter. When the Celtics turn into bricklayers for two straight games, you know Inside the NBA is eating.

Joe Mazzulla might want to unplug his PlayStation controller, because whatever game plan he had? It froze. Hitting the “Hack-a-Mitchell Robinson” button late in the fourth quarter? Like… why? No timeouts, no set plays, and no urgency with the season slipping away faster than your fantasy team in Week 2.

Boston played like they were up 3-0, not trying to avoid going down 0-2. Meanwhile, New York came out like underdogs with something to prove—and proved it.

Let’s not forget: this Celtics core has come back from 0-2 before. But now they’ve gotta win 4 of 5, with the next two games at Madison Square Garden—where Knicks fans will be louder than a high school cafeteria during a food fight.

Porzingis needs to heal, Tatum needs to lead, and Boston needs to remember how to play basketball. Because if not? Shaquille O’Neal’s gonna need a new rhyme for “down 3-0.”

So yeah, Shaq didn’t hold back—and why should he? The Celtics just fumbled back-to-back games, bricked shots like they were building Fenway Park, and got cooked by a team that’s hungrier, grittier, and more disciplined.

Game 3’s coming up on May 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET, and Boston better bring something special—or Shaquille O’Neal might just have an entire comedy special ready.

“What rhymes with Game 3, Ernie?  Must win, or Cancun we see.”