The New York Knicks walked into TD Garden on Tuesday night with momentum and belief, and for the first 12 minutes, they looked every bit like a contender. The ball movement was crisp, the defense suffocating, and every shot felt inevitable. But what began as near-basketball perfection collapsed into inconsistency, frustration, and ultimately a 123-117 loss to the Boston Celtics.

After the game, Josh Hart didn’t hold back.

“We can’t get bored with what’s working,” Hart said, a sentence that now hangs over this team like a warning siren.

New York’s performance was a tale of extremes. In the opening stretch, the Knicks swarmed Boston defensively, contested everything, and executed with sharpness and energy.

For a moment, it looked like the Knicks had officially entered the conversation of serious Eastern Conference threats.

Then came the collapse.

For nearly a quarter and a half, New York looked disconnected, slow on rotations, careless with possessions, and unable to generate the same force they opened with.

Boston capitalized, led by Jaylen Brown’s season-high 42 points and late-game dominance from Derrick White and Jordan Walsh.

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Still, the Knicks fought back. Mikal Bridges erupted for 17 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, splashing eight threes and cutting what was once an 18-point deficit down to three. Karl-Anthony Towns added 29 points in a strong offensive outing.

But the rally came too late, and the inconsistency was too glaring.

This loss may not be the most damaging of the Knicks’ season, but it may be the most revealing. The team has shown flashes of elite potential, yet lapses of focus continue to make their identity feel incomplete.

“We have to make sure we’re locked in on making sure the success of the team is the No. 1 objective,” Hart added.

The message is clear: contenders don’t just play well, they stay locked in.

And until the Knicks prove they can sustain that level, the question will linger:

Are they ready to compete… or are they still learning how?