Celtics to battle New York Knicks in Eastern Conference Semifinals
The Celtics and Knicks will tip off in Game 1 on Monday night at TD Garden.
For the first time since 2013, the Celtics and Knicks are set to battle in the NBA playoffs.
The Celtics will take on New York in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, with Game 1 between the historic franchises set for Monday, May 5 at TD Garden.
Boston punched its ticket to the second round of the playoffs on Tuesday after beating the Orlando Magic in five games. The Knicks locked in their bout with the defending NBA champions after eliminating the Detroit Pistons in six games on Thursday night.
Beyond this being the first playoff meeting between Boston and New York in over a decade, this is the first time both franchises are meeting beyond the first round in the postseason since 1984.
The Knicks (51-31) ousted the Pistons, 116-113 behind a 40-point night from All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson — who sank a step-back, 3-point shot with 4.3 seconds left on the clock.
Brunson — who won the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year award this season — headlines a New York team stocked with talent, but with little to show for it in matchups against Boston in 2024-25.
The Celtics swept their four-game set against the Knicks during the regular season, winning the matchups against New York by an average of 16.4 points.
In Boston’s first two matchups against the Knicks this year — a 132-109 season-opening win on Oct. 22 and a 131-104 trouncing on Feb. 8 — Kristaps Porzingis did not play for the Celtics.
Boston’s final game against New York on April 8 was a 119-117 nailbiter in overtime at Madison Square Garden, although Jaylen Brown was limited in that game due to his lingering knee pain.
One of the reasons why the Knicks struggled to slow down Boston this season was due to their struggles defending the Celtics’ barrage from 3-point range.
Unlike a stingy Orlando team that limits looks from beyond the arc, the Knicks ranked 26th in the league in opponent 3-point percentage during regular-season play.
Here is the full schedule for Celtics-Knicks, with times and broadcast information set to be released at a later date.
Here’s the full schedule:
Game 1: May 5 (at TD Garden)
Game 2: May 7 (at TD Garden)
Game 3: May 10 (at Madison Square Garden)
Game 4: May 12 (at Madison Square Garden)
*Game 5: May 14 (at TD Garden)
*Game 6: May 16 (at Madison Square Garden)
*Game 7: May 19 (at TD Garden)
*if necessary
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com