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Celtics' Jaylen Brown Isn't Worried About 0-2 Series Deficit

Originally posted on Boston Celtics on SI
By Matt Levine | Last updated May 8, 2025 3:13 PM ET

The Boston Celtics fell short of getting a win in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs, dropping another game to the New York Knicks. For the second straight game, Boston blew a massive lead to New York, and the Knicks were able to capitalize.

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Now, heading into Game 3, the Celtics face the daunting task of going to New York down 0-2 in the series. Many people expected this series to go a completely different way, but the Celtics have nobody to blame but themselves.

However, despite all the pessimism surrounding the team right now, star forward Jaylen Brown doesn't seem overly concerned about the series hole. Brown spoke about the reality that Boston now faces following the Game 2 loss.

“Two games, we're up 20 points,” Celtics star Jaylen Brown recounted. “Somehow end up not with wins. It's inexcusable.”

“It's an opportunity to show what we made of,” he said. “Obviously, we wouldn't like to be in this position, but we're here now. So we gotta respond.”

Jaylen Brown to @BobbyKrivitsky on how the Celtics plan to lean on each other down two games:

“Obviously we don’t wanna be in this position. But we’re here now, so we gotta respond.” pic.twitter.com/RHeEhexk5g
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) May 8, 2025

The Celtics are a very confident group, and the series just hasn't gone their way so far. Boston had chances to win each game, but they couldn't execute down the stretch of the game.

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The Celtics also allowed the Knicks to come back in both games, something that Boston has been fairly good about in recent years. But Game 3 will be massive for both sides, and the Celtics don't want to be put on the brink of elimination.

As the team gets ready for Game 3, they will need to put together a more consistent effort on the floor. Whatever the Celtics have been doing so far in this series hasn't worked, so they will need to change something up.

Game 3 will show a lot about the Celtics, but with Brown showing confidence, it could be a good sign. Boston is the defending champion for a reason, and this series is far from over at this point.

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Shams Charania Expects Big Changes For Celtics This Offseason

For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.

This article first appeared on Boston Celtics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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