“I’m a man of my word,” Paul Pierce declared. When legends swear by their word, fans demand a follow-through. Pierce’s high-stakes wager instantly grabbed headlines. Before Game 2 of the Celtics vs. Knicks, the Celtics icon made a daring bet—if the Celtics lost, he’d walk 20 miles to work. And to make it even more intense, he vowed to do it barefoot. Of course, Boston fell short, Pierce paid up, and he made good: 20 miles on city streets, socks in tow!

The Celtics came into this series as defending champs, but now? They’re staring down the barrel of a serious upset. They’ve lost the first two games to the Knicks—Game 1’s 105-108 and Game 2’s 91-90 heartbreaker, both after blowing 20-point leads. And just like déjà vu, both games ended with Mikal Bridges sealing it on defense. Boston’s offense has gone cold when it counts, and now they’re down 2-1 with all the pressure shifting to Game 3.

Before tip-off, the former Celtics legend, Pierce, had already turned the night into a spectacle. Standing in front of the crowd, he confidently declared, “If the Knicks win this game, I’m walking again.” The fans erupted—but that little word “again” had everyone buzzing. Did he really walk barefoot after Boston’s last loss? Turns out, yes—well, kind of. He wasn’t fully barefoot, but he did walk a jaw-dropping 20 miles in socks and a bathrobe, all the way to the FS1 studio in Los Angeles. All because of a bet. Because of the Celtics. Because… Paul Pierce.

Twenty miles—marathon territory even in sneakers—is brutal. Pierce, retired and probably questioning his life choices, still suited up and set off like a man stuck in a bet he thought he’d never lose. He live-streamed the ordeal, joking, “Alright, time for me to get to steppin’.” And step he did. Nearly seven hours of city sidewalks, camera crews, and committed chaos—all while rocking a robe like he was heading to a hotel spa instead of a foot marathon.

Feet aching, ego limping, he still managed to crack a smile and say, “I’m never doing this again, y’all. I’m never putting no bet like this ever again. I feel like I accomplished something great, dog. That was an accomplishment, at the end of the day.” Fair enough, Paul. That’s a whole pilgrimage. But what’s even wilder? He doubled down and made the same bet again before Game 3. It was as audacious as it was self-inflicted. Either way, the man clearly believes in going big or going blistered.

Luckily for his feet (and probably his dignity), the stars finally aligned. The Celtics pulled off a win in Game 3 against the Knicks, and Pierce gets to keep his socks clean… for now.

Celtics’ defense steps up big in game 3 win

For the first time in the series, the Celtics didn’t just build a 20-point lead—they held onto it. Game 3 at Madison Square Garden looked a lot more like the Boston team that stormed through the regular season. No wild Knicks comeback, no fourth-quarter collapse. Just a 115-93 statement win that cut New York’s series lead to 2-1. Payton Pritchard was the unlikely hero, dropping 23 off the bench and going 5-for-8 on wide-open threes. And as a team? The Celtics finally started hitting those looks, shooting a scorching 12-for-19 (63%) on wide-open threes after going 25% in Games 1 and 2.

It wasn’t just hot shooting. Boston’s defense showed up in a big way, too. The Knicks may have outscored them in the paint (48-34), but they needed 48 shots to do it—that’s just 50%, well below the league average. The Celtics smothered New York’s rim attacks with eight blocks from five different players and held the Knicks to just 8 transition points after giving up 39 across the first two games. Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, and Luke Kornet all made big defensive plays, and Joe Mazzulla credited the shift to taking care of the ball, rebounding, and keeping New York off the free-throw line.

But the Knicks didn’t help themselves either. Jalen Brunson called out the team’s lack of urgency, and the numbers backed him up—the Knicks have been outscored by 27 points in the first quarters of the last two games. Their starting lineup? Now a -29 in 68 minutes. Even Mitchell Robinson, who had been a bright spot earlier in the series, struggled from the line (4-for-12), with Boston intentionally fouling him to kill momentum. The Celtics still trail 2-1, but Game 3 felt like a reset—and with the next chance coming Monday, they’ll be looking to prove this wasn’t just a one-night resurgence.

Game 3 might’ve saved Paul Pierce’s feet, but more importantly, it may have saved the Celtics’ season. They’ve finally looked like the team that can repeat as champs, but one win doesn’t erase two collapses. Game 4 is now a must-win for both momentum and morale. Because if Boston slips again, all that work (and all those blisters) will be for nothing.