Celtics TV Presenter Calls Knicks 'Cockroaches' Despite Being Up 2-0

The Boston Celtics are unraveling before our eyes, and some of their media voices aren’t handling it with grace. After the Celtics blew two straight 20-point leads to fall into a shocking 0-2 hole against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, frustration has boiled over not just on the court but in the studio.

During NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage, Celtics analysts Kayla Burton and Chris Forsberg didn’t hold back. While trying to diagnose Boston’s collapse, they also delivered one of the most polarizing remarks of the postseason so far, calling the Knicks “cockroaches.”

Kayla Burton: "The frustrating thing is too, it's not the Knicks. It's the Celtics losing grip. Like I don't think the Knicks are doing anything all too impressive. They're competitive. They're tough. Mikal Bridges had zero points in the first half, and all of a sudden, he gets hot in the second half. Jalen Brunson didn't have his best of games." 

Chris Forsberg: "Let's say this. They're cockroaches. No matter what the Celtics do to put them in a compromised position, they do not just sit there and take it. They are willing to fight back. So I do want to give them credit." 

Kayla Burton: "But we're handing it to them. We're handing it to them a little. We're playing scared. The Celtics are playing scared." 

Chris Forsberg: "We're going to get aggregated if we just totally dismiss the Knicks part. They deserve some credit for the way they play, for the way that they don't roll over in those moments."