Jaylen Brown Admits Losing To The Knicks 'Feels Like Death' After Second Round Elimination

Following an ugly loss in Game 6 of the Eastern Semis, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown reflected on the season and his team's failure to repeat as NBA champions. Brown, who scored 20 points in the series finale against the New York Knicks, did not hold back in his post-game chat with the media.

"Things didn't go our way this year, and it's unfortunate, but we hold your head up regardless," said Brown. "Losing to the Knicks feels like death, but I was always taught that there's life after death, so we'll get ready for whatever's next in the journey, we'll be ready for."

The Celtics and Knicks are age-old rivals, and they've been competing for supremacy in the East all year. So it's only right that they match up against each other in the playoffs, with their season on the line. In tonight's close-out victory, the Knicks finally got their long-awaited revenge in an ugly blowout at home, and Jaylen Brown is still feeling the sting from a brutal end to the season.

The Celtics were fresh off winning a championship when the 2024-25 campaign began, and they had high expectations for their performance in the East. Unlike last season, they were unable to secure the top seed in the Conference, but they still finished second in the standings at 61-21. 

In the playoffs, the Celtics came in as one of the two favorites to win the East, and for good reason. They have everything a budding dynasty could want in star power, tradeable assets, but they completely ran out of gas when Jayson Tatum went down with a ruptured Achilles. He dropped 42 points in the loss, and the Celtics could have used his production.

As for Jaylen Brown, he didn't have the best of showings in today's close-out game. With 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists, he had a solid box score, but his impact was minimal with subpar defense and 40.0% shooting from the field. It was up to him to step up and lead his team, but there was nothing he could do as the score grew beyond their reach in the second half.

Brown's message was one of hope and perseverance after the loss. While their title ambitions may be crushed for now, he believes there are better days ahead. The bad news for the Celtics is that Tatum will need a year of recovery, but that will give them time to tweak and perfect the roster for when he finally returns.

In the meantime, it's up to Jaylen Brown to carry the load and show what he can do as the Celtics' leader. As much as he hated losing to the Knicks, there's no changing the past. All he can do now is look to the future and put in whatever work is necessary to stay at the top of his game.

With averages of 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game this season, Brown played like an All-Star for the Celtics, and he was crushed knowing that it was all in vain. By the time Tatum is ready to return, the entire team could be different, and their entire identity may not be the same. All the Celtics can do now is rebuild for the future and do whatever they can to help maximize the time they have left with their star-studded duo.