An eventful Eastern Conference semifinals between the Knicks and Celtics heads to Madison Square Garden tonight for Game 6. In this battle between historic rivals, New York holds a 3-2 series lead, one game away from advancing. On Wednesday, Boston kept its season alive with a dominant 127-102 victory. Can the C’s pull off another win, or will the ‘Bockers take care of business?
The Knicks enter tonight as 2.5-point favorites, with the over/under set at 211.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Let’s break down both teams going into Friday’s pivotal contest.
Celtics vs. Knicks preview, prediction
What’s fascinating about this matchup is how perceptions have flipped over the span of one week. New York came into Game 1 as heavy underdogs, going up against the dominant defending champs. However, after two wins to open the series, it was the Knicks that became favorites to advance. A season-ending injury for Jayson Tatum in Game 4 has only shifted the odds further away from Boston.
At perhaps their lowest point in years, the Celtics responded. Game 5 saw Jaylen Brown step up in Tatum’s absence, dropping 26 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists. As a team, Boston shot 52.4% from the field and 44.9% from three-point range, reminding the world how dangerous this team still is. In comparison, the Knicks connected on a dismal 35.8% of their field goal attempts.
Credit to the Celtics, as their terrific defense did its job once again. That’s been true most of this series, with New York averaging just 103.0 points over five games. Game 5 was rare in that Jalen Brunson didn’t have much of an impact. The superstar guard scored 22 points on 41.2% shooting before fouling out in the fourth quarter. That’s unlikely to continue tonight, even when contending with elite perimeter defenders such as Brown and Derrick White. In four career Game 6’s with the Knicks, Brunson has posted 38.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6.8 assists.
The biggest issue from New York is inconsistent production from its other stars. OG Anunoby has been awful on offense, scoring six points or fewer in three of his last five appearances. Karl-Anthony Towns has had his moments, but a foul-heavy, 19-point effort in Game 5 was disappointing. Mikal Bridges, while elite on defense, is prone to go entire quarters without scoring. One of those three needs to deliver on both ends of the floor tonight for the Knicks.
Celtics vs. Knicks pick, best bet
If this series has taught us anything, it’s that both of these squads are resilient. The Knicks have come back from numerous double-digit deficits, proving that no lead is insurmountable. The Celtics managed to rally without their best player, winning in dominant fashion during Game 5.
While New York has the better athletes in this matchup, Boston’s shooting is the great equalizer. Even without Tatum, the Celtics have a clear edge in depth. Being able to sub in sharpshooters such as Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard is a major bonus. One thing I am certain of is that the Knicks will be able to shoot above 40.0% from the field tonight. Just by virtue of a better Brunson performance, it feels inevitable. Assuming that happens, going over on tonight’s point total feels like a reasonable wager for bettors.
