Reigning NBA champions Boston Celtics find themselves in an improbably tough spot after losing both their home games against the New York Knicks in the second round. The team finds itself trailing 0-2 for the first time since 2023, when they trailed 0-3 to the Miami Heat. The only person in a tougher spot at the moment is probably Paul Pierce , who made a TV-worthy but risky bet ahead of game 2 on May 7th.
Pierce was a guest on the daily FS1 sports show Speak alongside host Joy Taylor on Wednesday. Despite the Celtics losing game 1 with an excruciating choke-job after leading by 20 points, Pierce had faith in his former team to pull off a game 2 win and level the series. Addressing Keyshawn Johnson and Ric Bucher alongside him in the studio, ‘The Truth’ made a boisterous and confident bet.
If the Celtics lose Game 2 at home, I’m walking here tomorrow, 15 miles! In my robe, no shoes on, barefoot… Put the house on this game… you got a better chance of walking out the studio and seeing a dinosaur!
Paul Pierce proclaimed on the show
Johnson and Bucher tried to talk him out of the excruciating conditions of the bet. Johnson stated that he was with the spirit of Pierce’s bet until he made the overconfident assertions that he did. The former NFL player believed that Pierce could possibly have jinxed the Celtics with his demeanor.
The Celtics blew their second straight game with a 20-point lead against the Knicks last night. They held a 70-50 lead with around 16 minutes left in the game during the third quarter. However, Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges helped the Knicks stage a rousing comeback, helping them cut the deficit to 12 points by the end of the third period. Josh Hart ended up top-scoring with 23 points for the Knicks in their improbable 91-90 win.
Pierce tweeted the distance that he would have to walk to the studio after the Celtics’ second straight choke. The distance being 20 miles instead of 15 has made the Los Angeles native’s task even more tedious.
Much like Paul Pierce, Charles Barkley also has a risky take on the Boston Celtics
While Pierce will have to handle the ignominy of either walking 20 miles or admitting he wasn’t up to the task, even Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal seem to have stuck their necks out with their faith in the defending NBA champions. The TNT analysts reposed faith in Joe Mazzulla’s team and labeled game 3 at Madison Square Garden as a must-win for the Knicks.
O’Neal started the segue off by saying that the Knicks cannot rest easy during their home game 3 due to the quality of opposition that they are up against. Barkley was in complete agreement, and he added on his own interpretation of the current state of the series.
He (Shaquille O’Neal) is 100% correct. I’m one of the few people in the world who have been in this situation twice. We played the Lakers when we were the no. 1 seed in the West. We lost the first two games at home in a five-game series. And I remember telling guys, ‘All we gotta do is get the first one, cuz then the pressure switches back to them.’ But also with Kenny (Smith), when we won the first two games in Houston, I remember telling the guys – we cannot go back to Houston 2-2.
Charles Barkley said
This statement is more of an expectation from the Knicks than an expression of faith in the Celtics. Having played many playoff series, the Chuckster is able to draw on his understanding of psychological dynamics to make this prediction. However, the Celtics have to raise their level of clutch offensive execution to merit such benefits of doubt.
More must-reads: