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[Saba Sports News] The Boston Celtics find themselves in a precarious spot in their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup with the New York Knicks, but Kristaps Porzingis is trying to frame the situation as a potential advantage — much to the disbelief of fans.
In Game 2 on Wednesday night, the Celtics suffered another brutal collapse, blowing a 20-point lead late in the third quarter and falling 91-90 at TD Garden. It echoed their Game 1 meltdown, where they let a sizable lead slip away and made unwanted history in the process.
Now trailing 2-0, Boston heads to New York under immense pressure to salvage the series.
Porzingis, however, had a different spin on the situation. Speaking after the game, the Celtics big man claimed the pressure now falls on the Knicks.
“It kind of takes all the pressure off of us, no?” Porzingis said. “I don’t know, if you check the odds, maybe the Knicks are the favorites now to win, who knows? We were expected to win. So, for us to be in this hole right now with our backs against the wall, we have nothing to lose.”
Unsurprisingly, fans weren’t buying it. Porzingis’ logic was quickly picked apart online. Boston entered the series as the clear favorite, being the reigning champions and widely considered the top team in the East.
Even after losing the first two games at home, oddsmakers still only slightly favored the Knicks — indicating that the expectations haven’t really shifted.
If anything, Boston’s consecutive home collapses have only intensified the pressure. What Porzingis may have meant was that the Celtics shouldn’t panic, given their track record and road success this season. But his comments were poorly received and promptly mocked, with fans quick to point out the irony.
Game 3 now looms as a must-win. No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit, and with Boston’s back-to-back blown leads, the spotlight is brighter than ever. The memes are flowing, and Porzingis’ attempt to downplay the situation only added fuel to the fire.