Garden Party: Celtics are in unfamiliar territory

Boston Globe

07-05-2025

It's been a while since the Celtics trailed in a playoff series.
Unless you were under a rock from April to June last year, you'll recall the Celtics lost just three games throughout the playoffs — one in each series except the Eastern Conference finals — and those losses never came in an opening game.
Now, one year later, trailing in a series for the first time since the 2023 Eastern Conference finals (
It's an unfamiliar position for these Celtics after last year's cake walk, but as the Globe's Chad Finn so adeptly put it:
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Perhaps it's important to note, however, that the Celtics lost Game 1 of the second round in two of the past three seasons and won both of those series (last year, of course, was the exception). Much to think about.
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Let's get into it.
About last night and what's on deck
Holy cow, Tyrese Haliburton!
Tyrese Haliburton can't stop playing hero ball.
Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press
Here's what happened from around the NBA and NHL on Tuesday night:
🏀 Down three with 12.1 seconds left, Tyrese Haliburton made the first of two free throws. After missing the second, he wrestled down the offensive rebound, brought the ball out to the 3-point line, and
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🏀 The No. 7 seed Warriors beat the No. 6 Timberwolves in Minnesota, 99-88. Interesting tidbit: Under Steve Kerr, Golden State has a 21-1 series record after winning Game 1, per ESPN. (The 1?
🏒 Jacob Slavin
🏒 The Oilers allowed two goals in the first 10 minutes of Game 1 against Vegas but scored three times in the third period to win, 4-2, and secure an NHL-record fifth straight comeback victory.
🏒 The PWHL playoffs begin tonight, with the Minnesota Frost traveling to face the Toronto Sceptres at 7 p.m.
🗓️ Up next:
Kristaps Porzingis is probable with an illness, and Sam Hauser is doubtful with a right ankle sprain. Game 2 will tip off at 7 p.m. on TNT.
In the know
Selling the Celtics
Wyc Grousbeck (left) and his family are selling the team to Bill Chisholm (center).
Barry Chin/Globe Staff
In March,
Almost immediately, details about how the sale would be funded began to trickle out. One name caught Globe business columnist Shirley Leung's eye: Sixth Street, a private-equity firm, is part of the backing group. And PE firms don't have a great reputation for spending money — it's usually the opposite.
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What does this mean for the Celtics?
Katie McInerney checked in with Shirley to figure out just exactly why you should be paying attention.
Katie: Why should it matter to Celtics fans — or sports fans in general — that their favorite team isn't owned by a private equity firm?
Private equity firms don't have a great reputation. They're known for cutting costs, stripping companies for parts, and cashing out for a tidy profit.That seems to run counter to how the Celtics' current owners have built a championship team. If anything, they've done the opposite: shelled out the big bucks to keep star players like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, even if it means losing money.
Katie: Do Celtics fans have any reason to be concerned about private equity when it comes to Chisholm?
SL:
Chisholm himself comes from the PE world and presumably that's how he got to know Sixth Street, the San Francisco PE firm that is investing at least $1 billion to help him buy the Celtics for $6.1 billion.
The good news is that the NBA has strict rules about PE investments. For example, PE firms don't have governance rights, and they can't own more than 20 percent of a team or more than the controlling owner. So unlike other investments, these PE guys won't be calling the shots – like which players to trade or coaches to hire. The NBA started to allow PE investors in 2020, and so far they seem to be in the mix just to give owners more financial flexibility.
Sixth Street plans to be a silent partner in the Celtics deal and expects to hold its stake for many years to come. The firm also has a 20 percent stake in the San Antonio Spurs, along with investments in Real Madrid and Barcelona, two of Europe's most celebrated soccer clubs.
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If approved by the NBA Board of Governors, the Celtics sale is expected to go through this summer.
What's good
Bring your appetite tonight
If you've got tickets to get into Wednesday's game, don't eat dinner beforehand.
The fine folks at TD Garden are stepping it up when it comes to gameday eats with a special pop-up concession stand called Lucky's All Stars, which you can find on Level 4 (JetBlue Runway) and Level 7 (Balcony on Causeway) and frankly … it makes me want to skip the media meal and place an order.
The highlights include jalapeño poppers, buffalo shrimp, a wagyu spicy hot dog (wow!) and even a stuffed brownie waffle (save me one).
Also being served up tonight around the venue:
The Nacho Average Rivalry at TD Garden.
Courtesy
🍟 Dueling fries:
A heaping pile of fresh french fries topped with North Shore beef and New York Reuben, which you can find at the Frito Lay Test Kitchen. The Garden says it's perfect for the Celtics fan who's married to a Knicks fan, but still wants to share 🤣
🧀 Nacho Average Rivalry:
How about nachos topped with Yankee pot roast and chopped cheese reminiscent of a NYC bodega? Grab that at the Taqueria.
🍪 The truce:
If you're seeking something sweet, get the best of both words — New York cheesecake gelato sandwiched between chocolate chip cookies, which were famously invented in Whitman, Mass. Why did the Garden come up with this? 'It's for the fans who think everything is sweeter when you can all just get along.' 💕
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Think we should try one of these and report back? Let us know which one at
.
For the group chat
Wayne Gretzky once said ...
Boston, MA - 5/5/25 - 06CELTICS_KNICKS - Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) throws up a missed three pointer during the fourth quarter in game one of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinal against the New York Knicks at TD Garden. (Barry Chin/Globe Staff).
Barry Chin/Globe Staff
In light of Monday's hideous 3-point shooting performance from the Celtics, I propose a slight alteration to Wayne Gretzky's most famous one-liner: Sure, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take, but you
also
miss 75% of the 3-pointers you do.
It was a record-breakingly bad shooting performance for the Celtics, whose 45 missed 3-pointers were a playoff record. But it also wasn't the first time this season they've looked that bad from distance.
Prior to Monday's meltdown, the Celtics missed 40 or more 3-pointers five times this season: March 12 vs. Oklahoma City (43), December 7 vs. Memphis (42), December 19 vs. Chicago (42), March 31 vs. Memphis (41), and November 16 vs. Toronto (40).
Last season it happened just once: December 19 vs. Golden State (41).
What was Boston's worst 3-point shooting night this season by percentage, you ask? The
Go deeper
Three stories you shouldn't miss
😬 Their own fault:
A gentleman's sweep is still in play for the Cs, but Chad Finn says
💪 Too clutch:
Khari Thompson caught up with Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges after Game 1 to figure out what they thought made the difference for the Knicks.
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🤕 KP update:
Joe Mazzulla went deeper on what is plaguing Kristaps Porzingis, who exited Monday's game at halftime and never returned.
Emma Healy can be reached at