10 things to know about Celtics-Knicks series ahead of the second round
For the first time in 41 years, two of the game's most storied franchises will meet in a playoff matchup later than the first round.
Entering the season, many thought the Celtics would have to take down the Knicks at some point in the playoffs to repeat as NBA champions. While that matchup might be coming sooner than some expected, a Boston-New York battle in the NBA Playoffs has come to fruition.
The Celtics and Knicks will begin their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup with Game 1 in Boston on Monday. Game 2 will be held on Wednesday before the series shifts to New York next weekend.
As two of the game’s most storied franchises are set to meet again in the playoffs, here are 10 things to know about the Celtics-Knicks matchup.
The Celtics won all four regular-season matchups
Regular-season games don’t determine playoff results. But it’s possible to glean a thing or two from them, and Boston mostly dominated New York all four times they met this season.
The Celtics won the NBA’s first game of the season over the Knicks, 132-109. They tied the record for most 3-pointers made in an NBA game that night with 29. The two teams didn’t meet again until Feb. 8, with Boston winning that one 131-104 in New York as it scored 70 points in the second half.
The last two matchups between the Celtics and Knicks were a bit closer. Boston won the Feb. 23 matchup between the two teams (118-105), but New York made it a six-point game in the fourth quarter. The last game between the two teams in April went into overtime, with Jayson Tatum making a 3-pointer in the final seconds in regulation before serving a win for the Celtics.
Jayson Tatum has mostly had his way against the Knicks
The Celtics’ star might have had the best series of his postseason career against the Magic, scoring at least 35 points in each of the final three games of the series. There’s some reason to believe he can continue to score at that level in Round 2.
Tatum scored 33.5 points per game while shooting 53.5 percent from the field and making 47.8 percent of his 3-pointers. He scored at least 35 points in two of those games, including a 37-point outing on a highly-impressive 98 true shooting percentage on opening night. For reference, that’s the fourth-best true shooting percentage that Tatum’s ever had in a game.
The Knicks defender Tatum hasn’t had luck scoring on this season
When the Knicks made their big swings to add Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns over the offseason, it was a clear indication that they were trying to model they were trying to model the Celtics’ five-out offense while strengthening their perimeter defense. However, those big additions haven’t really delivered for the Knicks against the Celtics this season.
Bridges, in particular, has struggled to slow down Tatum, who has shot 13 of 19 from the field (4 of 7 from deep) when the Knicks wing has been his primary defender this season, per NBA.com’s tracking data. Tatum has also hunted Towns on that end of the floor to great success, making 16 of 25 shots (6 of 12 from deep) when New York’s starting center has been his primary defender.
It’s been a different story when OG Anunoby has been covering Tatum. Tatum shot just 4 of 16 from the field (3 of 12 from deep) when the Knicks’ other starting wing was his primary defender this season.
Anunoby only played in three of the games against Boston, missing the Feb. 8 matchup when Tatum went off for 40 points. But he played in the last game between the two teams and notably gave Tatum some trouble during that matchup.
Kristaps Porzingis has been highly effective against his former team since he joined the Celtics
After struggling in the first round, a matchup against the Knicks could be what the doctor ordered to get Kristaps Porzingis back on track. The Celtics’ big has averaged 22.4 points per game over the seven times he’s faced the Knicks since he arrived in Boston last season, shooting 53.1 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range.
This season, Porzingis put up 24.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, two blocks, and a steal per game over two matchups against his old team. More importantly, the Celtics outscored the Knicks by 24 in the 73 minutes Porzingis played.
Jrue Holiday enters the matchup as the Celtics’ most notable injury concern.
Tatum missed a game with a wrist injury in the first round and Jaylen Brown has been battling a knee issue since March, but Jrue Holiday might be the Celtics’ biggest injury worry ahead of their second-round matchup against the Knicks. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla shared on Saturday that the veteran guard’s hamstring has been improving and he wasn’t listed on the injury report ahead of Game 1, a sign that he’s good to go.
Holiday had some of his better offensive performances this season against the Knicks. He averaged 16 points per game over the three times he played New York, shooting 66.7 percent from the field and 57.2 percent from deep.
How can Boston stop Jalen Brunson?
Jalen Brunson added to his legend in New York on Thursday, draining a 3-pointer in the final seconds to give him 40 points and help the Knicks knock off the Pistons in five. After scoring 26 points per game in the regular season, he put up 31.5 points per game in the first round as he scored at least 30 points in five of the six games.
While the Celtics swept the season series, Brunson mostly got his against Boston this season. He scored 26.8 points per game over four matchups, shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 43.3 percent from deep.
Jrue Holiday is arguably the Celtics’ best option at trying to slow down Brunson. He allowed Burnson to make 6 of 13 shots in the roughly 57 possessions he was the primary defender on the Knicks’ star during the regular season, per NBA.com’s tracking data. Derrick White was also effective in covering Brunson, giving up four field goals on 11 shots in the 56 possessions that he was the primary defender on him this season.
The Celtics could opt to try and slow down Brunson with length, too. Jaylen Brown has prided himself in taking on the toughest defensive assignments over the last couple of postseasons. He had some struggles trying to contain Brunson in the regular season, though, with the Knicks star shooting 10 of 17 from the field in the roughly 72 possessions that Brown was his primary defender. Jayson Tatum didn’t get much time covering Brunson in the regular season, guarding him for only 20 possessions.
Other potential X-factors for the Celtics
Al Horford’s ability to guard the perimeter might prove to be valuable in this series, considering the Knicks’ five-out offense. The Magic shot just 33.3 percent from the field when Horford was the closest contesting defender in the first round, per NBA.com’s tracking data.
As Luke Kornet had a bit of a breakout year for the Celtics, one of the teams he had the most success against was the Knicks. Boston recorded a 161.9 offensive rating in the 80 minutes Kornet was on the court against New York this season. For reference, Kornet had a team-high 121.2 offensive rating in the regular season.
Other potential X-factors for the Knicks
Mitchell Robinson only played in the final matchup between the Celtics and Knicks this season, but New York’s reserve center made a bit of an impact in that game. He scored four points to go with seven rebounds, two blocks, and one steal in just 15 minutes in the April 8 meeting between the two teams. Known for his strong rim protection, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Robinson get his number called if the Celtics are having their way with Karl-Anthony Towns again.
Celtics and Knicks haven’t met beyond the first round since 1984
This will mark the 16th time that the Celtics and Knicks will meet in the postseason, making it the second-most played matchup in the history of the NBA Playoffs. However, they’ve only played each other twice since the turn of the century, with both matchups coming in the first round. The Celtics swept the Knicks in 2011, while the Knicks took down the Celtics in five games in 2013.
In the last non-first-round playoff matchup between the two teams, Boston defeated New York in seven games to win the Eastern Conference semifinals in 1984. The Celtics went on to win the NBA Finals that year and lead the all-time playoff series between the two teams, 8-7.
Celtics enter the series as heavy favorites
The heavy expectation is that the Celtics will win the series with relatively little resistance. As of Sunday, the Celtics are -800 to win the series at DraftKings Sportsbook, an implied 89 percent probability.
Many pundits also expect the Celtics to finish the Knicks pretty quickly. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith predicted the Celtics to win in five. So did a trio of NBA writers from The Athletic.
Good luck finding anyone predicting the Knicks to win this series outside of the tri-state area, because they don’t seem to exist.
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