Ju Holiday talks about Celtics being eliminated: We failed the team and the city

Ju Holiday admits that the Boston Celtics lost to the New York Knicks in the playoffs, disappointing the team, the organization and the city.

The Boston Celtics' hope of defending the NBA championship came to an abrupt end on Friday night. They lost to the New York Knicks 81-119 in Game 6 of the second round of the playoffs and were eliminated. The loss not only ended the Boston Celtics season, but also sparked reflections from veteran defender Ju Holiday, who admitted that the loss had a heavy blow to the team and its ties to the city. After the game, Holiday expressed his disappointment that the team failed to meet expectations in an interview with CLNS TV's Celtics head coach Noah Dalzer.

"We are disappointed with ourselves," Holiday said. "We feel that we have let the team down and the city down."

Holiday struggled in Game 6, making 1 of 8 shots in 30 minutes, scoring only 4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. The veteran, known for his defensive ability and playoff experience, played a key role in Boston's 2024 championship path and continued to play a central role in defending the title this season.

Celtics ended the regular season with a record of 61 wins and 21 losses, firmly ranking second in the Eastern Conference. Entering the playoffs, Boston is widely regarded as a favorite to return to the NBA Finals. However, expectations for the team changed rapidly after Jason Tatum suffered an Achilles tendon injury in Game 4 and the season was reimbursed, which led to the team falling 1-3 in the series against the New York Knicks. The offseason prospects are full of uncertainty after the Celtics' playoff defeat, imminent salary issues and Jason Tatum's injury.

However, the team was underperforming in the final stage, losing three consecutive series, two of which were at TD Garden Arena. Holliday believes that this game is a missed opportunity given the excellent players in the team's roster.

"I think it's a missed opportunity," he said. "I think we have the best team in the league." The outgoing of the Boston Celtics marks an important turning point, and the following offseason is expected to be key. If existing core players are retained, the team is expected to face over $500 million in total salary (including luxury tax), and management is reportedly considering making changes to ease the financial burden.

Tatum's injury further exacerbated the uncertainty of the team's lineup. The six-time All-Star is expected to miss most of the 2025-26 season as he is recovering from Achilles tendon surgery, which means the Celtics will lose their cornerstone for the foreseeable future.

Holiday will turn 35 this summer and his contract is still ongoing, but his long-term role may be questioned as Boston evaluates the team's roster construction. Christapus Porzingis, Derek White and Jaylen Brown all signed important contracts, and keeping the financial impact of the core lineup intact will be a challenge.

The Celtics are about to enter the offseason and face a difficult choice. Ju Holiday's words summarized the heavy blow that the season failed to achieve its expectations.

Meanwhile, the Knicks will face the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, which will be New York's first advance to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000.