The NBA Playoffs are bringing more than just highlight-reel dunks and buzzer-beaters; this time, it’s fists, chaos, and absolute bedlam in the streets of Boston.
After the New York Knicks pulled off their second straight 20-point comeback win to go up 2-0 on the defending champion Boston Celtics, the intensity between the two historic rivals spilled outside the arena and onto the pavement in one of the ugliest fan altercations seen in recent postseason memory.
Celtics and Knicks fans fighting after the game pic.twitter.com/Us1dM0ByCC
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) May 8, 2025
Videos flooded social media late Wednesday night showing fans of both teams exchanging verbal abuse, shoves, and full-on punches outside TD Garden.
A Celtics supporter wearing a Paul Pierce jersey was captured on camera repeatedly hitting a Knicks fan while others in the background hurled obscenities and chanted, “Let’s go Knicks!” Boston police were forced to intervene and eventually pinned multiple individuals to the ground to contain the chaos.
Knicks fans turned the Celtics’ house into their own personal victory parade and they flat-out refused to leave. One Celtics arena coordinator completely lost her composure on camera, screaming, “Security! Help! Help! Get them out now!” as she tried in vain to clear the last wave of Knicks fans from the building.
This wasn’t a one-off skirmish. Multiple altercations broke out near Causeway Street as tensions flared following the Celtics’ crushing 91-90 loss. Some Knicks fans celebrated by taunting Boston loyalists, refusing to leave the arena, while others turned up the aggression with chants of “F*** the Celtics” on live TV.
"F*ck Boston!
"Let's go Knicks!"
"F*ck the Celtics!"
–– Knicks fans at TD Garden Celtics postgame show pic.twitter.com/t9mCdLA6PT
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 8, 2025
Let’s be clear, this wasn’t about basketball anymore. These weren’t just passionate fans, they were agitators using sports as an excuse to create mayhem. Whether dressed in green or orange and blue, anyone throwing punches over a playoff loss is not a supporter; they’re a hooligan. The rivalry might be historic, but there’s no pride in reckless violence.
The confrontation comes amid a series that’s already redefining chaos on the court. The Knicks shocked everyone by stealing not one, but two games in Boston, thanks to clutch play from Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, and a resurgent Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Celtics, who dominated the 2024 postseason, now look lost and stunned, especially after Mikal Bridges’ game-saving block on Jayson Tatum sealed another late-game collapse.
The brawls, though, overshadowed an epic basketball moment. They stole headlines from Josh Hart’s 23-point explosion and the Knicks making NBA history as the first team ever to come back from 20-point deficits in consecutive playoff games.
What should’ve been remembered as an incredible comeback will now also be remembered for police sirens and street fights.
Boston fans are no strangers to intense emotion, but this latest meltdown, coming after several arrests during their 2024 championship parade, adds to a growing list of violent fan behavior. Knicks fans, on the other hand, are finally tasting real playoff success after decades of suffering, but some took their celebrations way too far.
With Game 3 set for Madison Square Garden, tensions will only rise. The league, the teams, and local authorities must brace themselves for what could be another explosive chapter, on and off the court.
This is no longer just basketball. It’s become a cautionary tale about what happens when rivalry loses its soul.
