OFFICIAL: The 2025⁄26 Boston Celtics have not only blown a 3-1 lead, but they have become the 8th 2 seed to lose to the 7th seed.
…since 1984. Why 1984? Well that’s the year the NBA shifted to the 16-team format we all know and love. A 2 seed losing isn’t as uncommon as the 1 seed being beaten by the 8 seed but it’s still not very common.
Prior to tonight, there were 7 2 seeds to lose to the 7 seed in the 1st round:
*Pre-2003, the 1st round was a “best of 5” format, ergo the winner was the first to win 3 games
Fun fact: The Knicks and Warriors are the only team to beat both a 2 seed and a 1 seed as the lower seed in the 1st round. For the Knicks, it’s particularly interesting since both upsets were essentially the same version of the team, just a year older. And they faced the exact same opponent. And they won in the exact same amount of games. And it happened one year after the other; the 1⁄8 matchup happened in 1998⁄99 where the Knicks would go on a Finals run. Weird.
Congratulations to the 2026 Boston Celtics for joining such esteemed company!
Or as Bill Simmons might say, the Celtics are a bogus 2 seed.