One of the wildest nights of the NBA playoffs took an unexpected turn after the final buzzer.
As fans were still reeling from the Celtics’ shocking collapse against the Knicks, TD Garden was suddenly thrown into chaos. Alarms blared, lights flashed, and the voice over the loudspeakers urged everyone to leave, but not to use the elevators. Confusion spread fast.
What started as a frustrating night for Celtics fans turned into a full-blown emergency. Security moved quickly, guiding thousands of people out of the arena as fire alarms continued to sound. Nobody quite knew what was happening, only that the building needed to be cleared, and fast.
The Celtics had just lost Game 2 in heartbreaking fashion. Now, everyone just wanted to get out safely.
Fire Alarms, Evacuation, And A Stunned Crowd
NBA reporter Fred Katz was among those caught in the moment and shared the situation in real-time. “There is an emergency at TD Garden in Boston. Evacuating the building with fire alarms going off. They made an announcement not to take elevators. Quite the ending to the evening,” Katz posted on X (formerly Twitter).
There is an emergency at TD Garden in Boston. Evacuating the building with fire alarms going off. They made an announcement not to take elevators. Quite the ending to the evening.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) May 8, 2025
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Firefighters arrived on the scene soon after the evacuation began. While the cause of the alarm remained unclear for some time, early indications suggested there was no actual fire inside the building. Katz later spoke with a firefighter at the scene, who downplayed the seriousness of the situation. “There would be a lot more of us if there was a fire,” the firefighter told him.
A firefighter entering the building just told me there is not a fire. “There would be a lot more of us if there was a fire,” he said. Two fire trucks have arrived. https://t.co/ZzoVhLMZ6X
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) May 8, 2025
Still, the alarms and swift evacuation added another layer of drama to a night already packed with playoff tension. On the court, the Knicks stunned the defending champion Celtics, coming back from a 20-point deficit to win and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. The loss left Celtics fans rattled, and the emergency only fueled the unease.
Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, where the Celtics now face an uphill climb. Boston, the 2024 NBA champions, entered the playoffs as one of the top favorites alongside Oklahoma City. But after Wednesday night’s meltdown and the off-court chaos that followed, they’ll need to regroup mentally and physically fast.
There’s no word yet from TD Garden officials on what exactly triggered the emergency protocols, but fans will be watching closely for updates before the next home game. In the meantime, the focus shifts back to the court, where Boston has no room for error.
Also Read: REPORT: NBC Set To Use AI To Resurrect Iconic Announcer’s Voice In Future NBA Broadcasts
