2024-25 Eastern Conference Semifinal Preview: No. 3 New York Knicks v. No. 2 Boston Celtics

2024-25 Eastern Conference Semifinal Preview: No. 3 New York Knicks v. No. 2 Boston Celtics

Heading into the 2023-24 postseason, people were automatically placing the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks into the Eastern Conference Finals. While the Celtics made it (and won the NBA Title), the Knicks didn’t, losing in seven games to the Indiana Pacers in the East semis.

Nearly a year later, we get the matchup most of us wanted–except in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Knicks dedicated their offseason to gearing up for Boston while the reigning champs are trying other become the first repeat champion in nearly a decade.

Without further ado, let’s dive into our series preview!

GAME	DATE	MATCHUP	TIME (EST)	TV
Game 1	Monday, May 5	Knicks @ Celtics	7 p.m.	TNT
Game 2	Wednesday, May 7	Knicks @ Celtics	7 p.m.	TNT
Game 3	Saturday, May 10	Celtics @ Knicks	TBD	ABC
Game 4	Monday, May 12	Celtics @ Knicks	TBD	ESPN
Game 5*	Wednesday, May 14	Knicks @ Celtics	TBD	TNT
Game 6*	Friday, May 16	Celtics @ Knicks	TBD	ESPN
Game 7*	Monday, May 19	Knicks @ Celtics	8 p.m.	TNT

What to know about the New York Knicks:

Starters:

• Jalen Brunson
• Josh Hart
• Mikal Bridges
• OG Anunoby
• Karl-Anthony Towns

Key Reserves:

• Miles McBride
• Mitchell Robinson

The New York Knicks, who finished with 51 wins for the first time since 2012-13, had quite the test in the first round against the Detroit Pistons. However, the Knicks survived in six games against Detroit, capped by Jalen Brunson‘s game-winning 3-pointer with less than five seconds left in Game 6 to secure the 116-113 win.

It was a feisty and physical series against Detroit, but now a tougher test awaits. New York finished with the league’s fifth-best offense and 13th-best defense. But it got thumped by Boston in each of its four regular season meetings, sporting a 113.0 offensive rating to a ghastly 130.2 defensive rating in those four matchups.

Led by Brunson, New York has plenty of star power plus a bevy of wings to throw at the reigning champions–but couldn’t figure them out during the regular season. We all know the competition is different once May arrives. But will it be any different?!

What to know about the Boston Celtics:

Starters:

• Jrue Holiday
• Derrick White
• Jaylen Brown
• Jayson Tatum
• Kristaps Porzingis

Key Reserves:

• Payton Pritchard
• Al Horford
• Sam Hauser
• Luke Kornet

The reigning champions were also tested in the first round, but outlasted Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and the Orlando Magic across five games. Boston won 14 of its last 16 regular-season games and carried that momentum into the opening round, outscoring the Magic by 13.7 points per 100 possessions, the third-largest NET Rating in the first round (out of eight series).

The final three games were without Jrue Holiday, who will be back against New York. The Celtics were the second-best team in the East all season, finishing 61-21 with a plus-9.4 NET Rating. They are one of two teams (Thunder) with a top-5 offense and top-5 defense, with great positional size and depth at every position. New York will inarguably be a tougher test, but can Boston make it back to the Eastern Conference Finals for the seventh time in nine seasons?

Key Questions:

1.) Can Karl-Anthony Towns hold up defensively?

How Towns plays may be the Knicks’ biggest X-Factor this series. How he plays on both ends could determine their fate–especially defensively. The Celtics will attack him in ball screens and try to put pressure on him to make the decisions in space–whether he’s playing at or near the level in screens.

While he’s obviously a better floor-spacer, he’s not the defender that Isaiah Hartenstein was for New York last year. If I were Boston, I would try to put him in any sort of on- and off-ball action as one of their weak links defensively. Can he hold up?

2.) How will Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown perform against New York’s trio of wings?

The Knicks acquired Mikal Bridges and Towns over the summer to match up with the reigning champions after a disappointing finish against Indiana last year. They geared up to beat arguably the East’s best team over the last decade.

Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart will be a lot to handle for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. I’m confident they will overcome said challenge, but this will arguably be a steeper test than it was against Orlando with Wagner and Banchero. How will they respond if they face any adversity? Boston’s dynamic duo has dealt with greater challenges, but this will not be easy to navigate.

Predictions: Celtics in 5

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