There are at least two basketball fans smiling today—but for very different reasons. One is celebrating because his team just knocked off the number two seed. The other is grinning because the team he cannot stand finally got sent packing. Different motivations, same result: both woke up feeling good. Why? Because last night, the New York Knicks eliminated the Boston Celtics.
Let that settle in for a second.
The Knicks are heading to the Eastern Conference Finals.
And no—this wasn’t a fluke. No miracle buzzer-beater. No lucky bounce. Just straight-up execution when it mattered most. The Celtics, the team many had penciled in as Finals favorites, are done. The Knicks, built on grit, chemistry, and buy-in—not flash or star power—punched their ticket with authority.
This rivalry between New York and Boston? It goes back many years. These teams don’t like each other. These cities don’t like each other. And don’t even get started on the fan bases. Game 6 brought all of that emotion to the surface. One team moves on. One team goes home. And the Knicks? They were simply the better team when the lights were brightest.
The game itself was a grind. It wasn’t always pretty. At times, it felt like both squads were stuck in mud. But it was intense. Physical. Every possession felt like a war. And when it came down to who wanted it more? It was New York—no question.
Jalen Brunson once again played like the best player on the floor. That’s been the storyline all postseason. Calm. Cold-blooded. No matter who the Celtics threw at him, Brunson got to his spots, made plays for others, and hit the shots that mattered. He didn’t just lead the Knicks—he controlled the game.
Karl-Anthony Towns? He played like he was the heart and soul. Diving for loose balls, crushing the glass, switching onto anyone who dared challenge him. His hustle ignited the crowd and lifted the team. He makes winning plays—the kind that don’t show up in the box score but decide games.
It was a team win. That’s what makes it sweeter for Knicks fans. No one dropped 50 to drag them across the finish line. This was a full-on team effort. Everyone stepped up. Everyone bought in.
Meanwhile, the Celtics collapsed in their own building.
This is going to sting. Boston entered the playoffs with everything: experience, depth, star power, a top seed. But it didn’t matter. When the Knicks ratcheted up the intensity in the second half, the Celtics had no answer.
You could see the frustration all over them. Missed shots. Mental lapses. Flat body language. And it all started unraveling in the third quarter. There was one last gasp in the fourth—a chance to cut it to four—but they missed. And the Knicks didn’t. That was the moment.
That was the difference.
One team wanted to survive. The other wanted to win.
And here’s the part that can’t be ignored: Jayson Tatum was out after injuring his achilles early in Game 4, he was watching from the stands in street cloths. The Celtics’ leading scorer, their tone-setter announced he will need surgery and miss the rest of the season before on Thursday. The absence Tatum was glaring. No excuses—injuries are part of the game—but it added to the Celtics unraveling.
Of course, the Knicks were battling injuries of their own. Precious Achiuwa never played in the series but was listed as day-to-day going into last nights game. Mitchell Robinson has been playing through pain and has been consistently listed as day-to-day since April the 27th. This wasn’t a team rolling at full strength either. They earned this. Every piece of it.
Now the Garden gets to host the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in more than 20 years. Fans who’ve been through heartbreak after heartbreak finally have something real to believe in. And it’s not just nostalgia. It’s not just hope. It’s a team that plays the right way—together, unselfishly, tough as hell.
This is what New York basketball should look like.
Here’s the thing, folks: That cherry on top came at Boston’s expense. Because Knicks-Celtics isn’t just basketball. It’s identity. It’s pride. It’s history. Any time one knocks the other out, it becomes another story fans will tell for decades.
With that.. Some Knicks fans are still hoarse from screaming in joy. However, two Celtics haters are just savoring the moment. They weren’t rooting for the Knicks for the same reason—but they both got what they wanted. That’s the power of a rivalry. That’s the power of playoff basketball.
And now, the New York Knicks are just four wins away from the NBA Finals. Say it out loud. Let it echo. The Knicks eliminated the Celtics. And the road to the title just got a whole lot more interesting.
If you cannot play with them, then root for them!