The Boston Celtics seemed poised to win back-to-back NBA championships. That is, until the New York Knicks came along and took a 3-1 lead over the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs.

Beyond that, Boston is poised to continue a 6-year trend that has prevented recent dynasties.

Over the last six years, the defending champions have gone out in the first or second round. The '20 Raptors, '22 Bucks, '23 Warriors, and '24 Nuggets went out in the second round.

The '21 Lakers were eliminated in the first round.  Boston is likely to continue this trend, given the current direction.

It can't be understated how the Celtics' uncertainty about Jayson Tatum following his ankle injury in Game 4 will radically switch things up for their roster.

The pivotal Game 5 will be held in Boston on Wednesday night. If the Celtics win, they still have a chance. If they lose, it was fun while it lasted.

A far cry from where most had expected out of them at the outset.

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The Celtics seemed to be a dynasty in the making 

On the surface, the Celtics had all the pieces in place to become a dynasty again. They had the core Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White raring to go for another ring.

The Celtics were +350 favorites to win the championship, per FanDuel Sportsbook. They finished with a 61-21 record with a roster comprised with versatile talent and depth.

If they were in prime position to win, they would be the first repeat champions since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.

But now they ran into a Knicks team that is hungry for a shot at the title. The Knicks have some recent playoff experience themselves, but always came up short.

This time around their teamwork, defensive prowess, and leadership from players like Mikal Bridges puts them in prime position to derail Boston.