BOSTON — Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens could've offered up a slew of excuses on Monday afternoon when questioned about the Green Team's early exit from the playoffs. Instead, he recognized why the Celtics, injuries and illnesses aside, came up short in the second round against the New York Knicks.

Just three days after the Celtics suffered a brutal, season-ending blowout in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Stevens spoke with the media at the Auerbach Center. He didn't shy away from his team's failures, as he pinpointed the moments where he thought the Celtics lost the series.

“The reality is we blew the first two games, and that's why we put ourselves in a tough spot,” Stevens admitted. “I realized, and we all realized, listen, these leads go fast and these games go fast. Yes, you can win when you're down 2-0, but you just diminished your margin for error.”

In Games 1 and 2 against the Knicks, the C's held a 20-point lead at home and lost it. Both disappointing defeats were one-possession contests and extremely winnable for Boston. However, the defending champs collapsed down the stretch twice, causing them to forfeit control of a series they were favored to win.

“We had opportunities to win those first two home games, and we put ourselves behind the eight ball,” Stevens stressed. “New York gained what I thought was not only confidence but momentum, and they are peaking. You can see it.”

Even though Boston responded in Game 3, New York proceeded to dominate the glass and have its best shooting night of the second round in Game 4. This made the series 3-1 in the Knicks' favor, yet it somehow didn't feel like the most pressing issue for the Celtics.

What excuses could Brad Stevens have made, and what's next for the C's?

Boston's go-to guy, star Jayson Tatum, ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the fourth quarter of Game 4 vs. the Knicks. Climbing out of a 3-1 hole, which was already unlikely, felt nearly impossible following the season-ending injury. Stevens acknowledged that if the Celtics were better in the clutch in Games 1 and 2, things could've been different.

“I've said many times, we could easily have been up 3-1 when Jayson got hurt,” Stevens emphasized. “But the reality is, we were probably not winning that game anyway, so we were going to be down 3-1.”

Although Tatum suffered the most stunning injury, he wasn't the only Celtic on the injury report during the playoffs. Celtics guard Jrue Holiday missed three games in the first round due to a hamstring injury, and sharp-shooter Sam Hauser was sidelined for three games versus the Knicks with a sprained ankle.

Off the official injury report, Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis was dealing with a lingering illness that seemingly zapped him of his shooting abilities. Meanwhile, four-time All-Star Jaylen Brown played through a partially torn right meniscus that forced him to operate differently, and with much less athleticism. Despite their afflictions, Brown and Porzingis both took the court for Game 6 in a hostile environment at Madison Square Garden and suffered the 119-81 beatdown alongside the rest of their teammates.

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Stevens could've mentioned all these uncontrollable obstacles to help explain how the C's were upset by the Knicks. But rather than deflecting to health limiting the team's effectiveness, he opted to focus on the razor-thin margin of error in the postseason and how squandering opportunities is enough to doom an organization, even the reigning champs.

“I think that those are all things that you appreciate when you can go on deep runs like we did last year and ultimately win it, because some things have to go your way,” Stevens said while discussing margins. “Last year, in the Indiana series, they could have easily been up 3-1 on us. And I think that that's just kind of these series. You get these opportunities, and one team takes advantage of them, and that team usually moves on. And the Knicks did that. And again, they deserve credit for that.”

To Stevens' point, the Celtics trailed in the fourth quarter of three of their four wins over the Indiana Pacers during their sweep of the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals. Against the Knicks in the playoffs, the C's led in the final frame in five of their six matchups and were eliminated before the third round for the first time since 2021.

The Celtics executed in 2024, putting together strong fourth quarters and holding leads tight. They wavered in 2025, outplaying the Knicks frequently but not when it mattered most.

As a result of Boston's shortcomings, it now has to face a difficult offseason that could bring about major change. The Celtics' tax bills are high, and the best way to get out of the second apron is by cutting payroll and shaking up the roster.

As the de facto general manager, Stevens shoulders the demanding responsibility of possibly rearranging the Celtics while keeping them competitive. It's a delicate dance with little margin for error — just like the postseason.

“The north star is to have a championship contender,” Stevens stated. “So you have to do what's best to give yourself the best opportunity to do that when you can do that…We have a lot of good players. We're in a unique situation. They're all under contract. And obviously, there are several basketball penalties that will come with that amount of salary. So, we just have to weigh it all and make those decisions.”