NBA insider Brian Windhorst reported for ESPN, "Even if Horford doesn't re-sign -- he doesn't plan to retire and would like to return, sources said -- Boston is facing a payroll, with luxury taxes, next season of $464 million, according to ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks."

Jaylen Brown has yet to shake the knee injury that hindered him for the final two months of the regular season. But he believes he’s getting close. The Celtics star shared a positive update on his status ahead of Boston’s second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks.

Turns out there is a far crueler fate than blowing a double-digit lead in an eventual loss for the third time in this series, as the Celtics happened to do in the Knicks’ 121-113 victory in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

Mazzulla, Brown and Horford all said that Boston didn't play up to its standard defensively. This is true, particularly in the second half. But both sides of the floor are connected, and Mazzulla pointed out that the Knicks were able to play with pace in part because of the Celtics' poor offensive execution.