The storied rivalry between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks is set to resume in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. This marks the first time these two teams have met in the postseason since 2013. Game 1 of the series will take place Monday night in Boston. The defending NBA champion Celtics advanced by defeating the Orlando Magic in five games in their opening-round series. The Knicks, on the other hand, overcame a tougher challenge, needing six games to eliminate the Detroit Pistons.
New York significantly revamped its roster during the offseason, bringing in key players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges with the aim of building a team capable of challenging Boston. However, their efforts have yet to yield success against the Celtics, who swept the regular-season series 4-0, winning by an average margin of 16.3 points. Despite dealing with a knee injury, Celtics forward Jaylen Brown participated in all five first-round games and anticipates a `war` against the Knicks in this upcoming series.
Each team features an All-NBA caliber superstar leading the charge. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum posted impressive averages of 31.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in their series against the Magic. For the Knicks, guard Jalen Brunson was equally dominant, averaging 31.5 points and 8.2 assists per contest in the first round versus the Pistons.
Series Schedule and How to Watch
All times Eastern
Game 1: Monday, May 5 | Celtics vs. Knicks | 7 p.m., TNT/Max
Game 2: Wednesday, May 7 | Celtics vs. Knicks | 7 p.m., TNT/Max
Game 3: Saturday, May 10 | Knicks vs. Celtics | Time/TV TBD
Game 4: Monday, May 12 | Knicks vs. Celtics | Time/TV TBD
*Game 5: Wednesday, May 14 | Celtics vs. Knicks | Time/TV TBD
*Game 6: Friday, May 16 | Knicks vs. Celtics | Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Monday, May 19 | Celtics vs. Knicks | Time/TV TBD
Betting Odds
Odds via DraftKings
Series odds: Celtics -800, Knicks +550
Game 1 odds: Celtics -9, O/U 213
Game 1 Betting Pick
Coming Monday ahead of Game 1 in Boston.
Jasper Hawthorne