BOSTON — Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals felt like the potential end of an era for not only the Boston Celtics but also Boston sports. The C's were eliminated on Friday night by the Knicks in a 119-81 blowout, officially terminating Boston's quest for back-to-back titles and jumpstarting an uneasy offseason.

Despite all of the uncertainty that lies ahead for the Celtics, star Jaylen Brown wouldn't succumb to the doom and gloom currently shrouding Boston.

“It's tough, the way we went out tonight,” he admitted in his last postgame presser of the season. “But the way we finished the year, personally, the way I finished the year, persevering through some physical stuff that I was battling through, I'm proud of our group.

“I thought that we fought. We was in a lot of battles, and it's a lot to be excited for. This journey is not the end. It's not the end for me”

A lingering knee issue kept Brown from closing out the regular season, and it clearly impacted his athleticism in the playoffs. However, his injury was the least of Boston's health problems.

Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis battled through a troublesome illness for much of the postseason, causing him to play like a shell of himself. He shot an abysmal 32% from the field and a team-worst 12.5% from deep in 10 playoff outings.

The real blow to Boston came in Game 4 against the Knicks. Late in the fourth quarter, Celtics star Jayson Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon, ruling him out for the rest of the series and perhaps the majority of the 2025-26 campaign.

What's the current state of the Celtics and Boston sports in general?

Tatum's brutal injury has Boston sports fans questioning the Celtics' prospects for next season, which are somehow arguably better than the other major sports teams in the city.

The Boston Bruins are just starting a rebuild after posting their first losing record since 2007, the New England Patriots are trying to turn the franchise around following a firing and a four-win season, and the Boston Red Sox are hovering around .500, and away from the playoffs, for the fourth consecutive year.

In a city where sports dictates mood, Boston is sour. The Knicks recording their largest margin of victory in a playoff game in franchise history on Friday didn't help, yet Brown is determined to bounce back. After the blowout loss, it felt like he was speaking directly to Boston at one point, hoping to inject some optimism into the city.

“I'm looking forward to coming back stronger,” he said. “You just take this with your chin up. I know Boston, it looks gloomy right now. Obviously, with JT being out and us kind of ending the year, but there's a lot to look forward to. I want the city to feel excited about that. This is not the end, so looking forward to what's next.”

The reigning NBA Finals MVP may have the reins to Boston's offense next season with Tatum in recovery. But there's no telling what the roster will look like, as the Celtics will have to shed a lot of payroll to avoid the second apron and the penalties that come with an expensive luxury tax bill.

Brown will earn $53 million during the 2025-26 season, the second most of any Celtic. Fellow starters Porzingis and guard Jrue Holiday will also receive more than $30 million next season, putting the C's in a financial bind.

Given these money problems, Celtics guard Derrick White knows the 2024-25 campaign might've been the last with Boston's current championship core.

“It sucks,” White told reporters. “We'll never get this season back. We're never gonna have the exact same team again.”

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The Celtics won't apologize for going all in

No matter what kind of shakeup occurs this summer, the Celtics can take some solace in the fact that they did achieve their ultimate goal last season. Of course, another championship was the objective in 2025, yet there's a reason the C's haven't won back-to-back titles since 1969.

Winning it all is hard — grabbing two in a row, especially in today's NBA, feels almost impossible. No team has even repeated as conference champions in the last seven seasons. The new CBA doesn't help either. Keeping a winning team together is as costly as ever in a league where organizations need to pay everybody from franchise cornerstones to essential role players.

All of these factors help explain why the Celtics failed this season, however, Brown, White, and the rest of the team weren't interested in excuses.

They had an opportunity to handle the Knicks in Games 1 and 2 and squandered a pair of 20-point leads, putting them in a tough series hole that was only exacerbated by injuries and illnesses. They acknowledged their mistakes but wouldn't apologize for putting it all out there in pursuit of winning.

“This is the price you pay for trying to go after something,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla stated. “And that's how it goes. But I'm really just thankful to the guys — who they are as people and what they've done as a team.”

Although uncertainty clouds the Celtics at the moment, Boston had a legitimate connection in the locker room. The 2024-25 Celtics played for each other, and when Tatum went down, they responded by dominating Game 5 to extend the second-round series.

“I just love playing with the guys that we have in that locker room,” White said. “That’s what I’m probably the most proud of, is just being able to say that I put on a Boston Celtics uniform with some amazing people.”

It wasn't enough, however, it shows the C's still have some fight without Tatum. Brown will try to build upon that determination in the coming months as Boston's go-to guy and one of the most vocal leaders on the Celtics. Whether Boston has the pieces to contend next season remains to be seen as the roster is completely up in the air, and the Eastern Conference is always shifting.

But at the very least, Brown will do all he can to get the Celtics to compete. He promised to go to war for the Celtics moments after they drafted him in 2016, and he's delivered on that so far. After all, the city needs him right now.