Celtics Fail to Lock Up No. 2 Seed After Thriller Loss to Knicks

Boston falls short in 112-106 defeat, missing chance to clinch playoff position

Apr. 10, 2026 at 4:19am

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A fractured, cubist-style painting depicting a basketball game, with sharp geometric shapes in Celtics green, Knicks orange, and neutral grays, conveying the intensity and back-and-forth nature of the contest.The Celtics' inability to secure the No. 2 seed against the Knicks highlights the team's ongoing quest for postseason readiness.Boston Today

The Boston Celtics were unable to clinch the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, falling to the New York Knicks 112-106 in a back-and-forth thriller. Despite strong performances from Jayson Tatum, Payton Pritchard, and Baylor Scheierman, the Celtics struggled to make shots early and couldn't get enough stops down the stretch against a hot-shooting Knicks squad led by Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson.

Why it matters

The loss means the Celtics will have to wait at least one more game to officially secure the No. 2 seed. With the playoffs approaching, Boston is still working to find the right rotations and rhythm, especially with the recent acquisition of Nikola Vucevic, who continues to search for his footing.

The details

The Celtics shot just 5-of-21 (23.8%) from three-point range in the first half, with Jayson Tatum and Derrick White combining to go 0-for-9 from deep. Boston found its stroke in the second half, but the defense faltered, allowing the Knicks to score 31 points in the fourth quarter on 66.7% shooting. Josh Hart made the Celtics pay, scoring 15 of his 26 points in the final frame, including 3-of-3 from three-point range.

  • The Celtics were playing the first game of a back-to-back set.
  • Jaylen Brown missed his 10th game of the season.

The players

Jayson Tatum

Scored 24 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished 8 assists, but shot just 7-of-22 from the field and 2-of-10 from three-point range.

Payton Pritchard

Scored a team-high 23 points and added 6 assists off the bench.

Baylor Scheierman

Poured in a season-high 20 points, knocking down 6-of-7 three-pointers.

Josh Hart

Led the Knicks with 26 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter on 5-of-7 shooting from deep.

Jalen Brunson

Scored 25 points and dished 10 assists for the Knicks.

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What they’re saying

“It was a big moment, a big hurdle for me. I was nervous and anxious to come back here. Obviously, I wanted to win and play great, but, more importantly, I just kinda wanted to walk off the court on my own two feet.”

— Jayson Tatum

“Obviously, shotmaking is the easiest thing to see and helps us on the scoreboard, but he just does a lot for us. Whether it's his crashing or his defense, but his instincts on both ends. He's just continuing to get better and better, and that's what we need, hitting that stretch here.”

— Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Head Coach

What’s next

The Celtics will have one more chance to clinch the No. 2 seed when they face the Toronto Raptors on the final day of the regular season.

The takeaway

This loss highlights the Celtics' continued search for consistency and chemistry as they prepare for the playoffs. While they have the talent to make a deep postseason run, Boston will need to shore up its defense and get key contributors like Derrick White and Nikola Vucevic firing on all cylinders to reach their full potential.