The rivalry between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks is reignited in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. This marks their first playoff meeting since 2013. Game 1 is scheduled for Monday evening in Boston. The defending NBA champions, the Celtics, advanced by defeating the Orlando Magic in five games in the opening round. Meanwhile, the Knicks secured their spot by overcoming the Detroit Pistons in a tighter, six-game series.
The Knicks revamped their lineup during the offseason, bringing in players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges to build a team capable of challenging Boston. However, this hasn`t proven sufficient yet, as the Celtics dominated the regular-season matchups, sweeping all four games with an average winning margin of 16.3 points. Despite playing all five first-round games while managing a knee injury, Celtics forward Jaylen Brown described the upcoming series against the Knicks as a potential `war.`
Both teams feature All-NBA caliber stars. Boston`s wing Jayson Tatum had an impressive first round against the Magic, averaging 31.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. For New York, guard Jalen Brunson was equally dominant against the Pistons, averaging 31.5 points and 8.2 assists per contest.
Celtics vs. Knicks schedule, scores
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
Celtics vs. Knicks odds
Odds via DraftKings
Series odds: Celtics -800, Knicks +550
Game 1 odds: Celtics -9, O/U 213
Celtics vs. Knicks Game 1 pick
This season, the Knicks and Celtics faced off four times during the regular season. The final game was less significant for Boston, so let`s focus on the first three, which Boston won by margins of 23, 27, and 13 points. Regardless of the overall team assessment, the specific matchup seems particularly disadvantageous for the Knicks. The Celtics are adept at exploiting weaker defenders in pick-and-roll situations, a vulnerability that affects both Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. On defense, Boston can counter the Brunson-Towns pick-and-roll effectively using their versatile wing defenders, nullifying New York`s primary offensive strategy. Similar to how Jalen Duren caused issues for New York by guarding Josh Hart and providing help defense, Kristaps Porziņģis is expected to apply similar pressure. Until the Knicks demonstrate they can effectively challenge the Celtics, my prediction favors Boston.
The Pick: Celtics -9
Jasper Hawthorne