On Wednesday, 05/07, the Boston Celtics (0-1) will host the New York Knicks (1-0) for Game 2 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Celtics suffered a shock three-point defeat (108-105) in Game 1 as they choked a 20-point lead. Can The Green Machine recover from their Game 1 debacle against a pesky Knicks? Read through the preview, total predictions, and player props here.
The Knicks showed their gritty nature
During the 2024 offseason, the Knicks traded a ton of their first-round picks to acquire Mikal Bridges. He vindicated the decision in Game 1. The Celtics were down by three points with three seconds left in OT when Bridges chased Jaylen Brown during an inbound situation and snatched the ball away from his hands. Chance for a game-tying shot; denied.
The Celtics shouldn’t have let things come to a single possession anyway. They had a 20-point lead around the midway point of the third quarter. However, the Knicks’ intense defense came to their resthe cue.
A 23-12 run by Knicks gave them momentum, and then they shut the Celtics down to just 16 points in the fourth quarter, while managing 23. As usual, Jalen Brunson made key shots in the final quarter while OG Anunoby was clutch in both the fourth quarter and OT periods.
The Knicks limited Boston to a mere 35.1% shooting, making two more triples than them (17 compared to 15). The Celtics attempted a whopping 60 triples(61% of their FG attempts) while the Knicks nailed more threes with 23 fewer attempts.
Jaylen Brown made just 1 of 10 three-point attempts, and Tatum 4 of 15. The Celtics eked out 19 offensive rebounds compared to 12 by the Knicks and made five more free throws, but their insistence on shooting the long ball held them back.
Their approach can be criticized, but it was also a huge reason behind their 2024 championship. At any rate, for the Knicks, Brunson had 29 points while Anunoby showed off with a 29-point piece. Was Game 1 an aberration or a serious wake-up call to the three-point heavy Celtics?
Knicks Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Jalen Brunson | SG: Josh Hart | SF: OG Anunoby | SF: Mikal Bridges | C: Karl-Anthony Towns
Key bench players: SG: Miles McBride, C: Mitchell Robinson, PG: Cameron Payne.
Injuries/Updates: Nothing significant to report
Celtics Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Jrue Holiday | SG: Jaylen Brown | SG/SF: Derrick White | SF/PF: Jayson Tatum | C: Kristaps Porzingis
Key bench players: C: Luke Kornet, C: Al Horford, SF: Sam Hauser, PG: Payton Pritchard
Injuries/Updates: Kristaps Porzingis is PROBABLE. Sam Hauser is DOUBTFUL.
The first game produced 213 points, but 13 came in Overtime. The bookmarks judged nearly identical odds around the 212-point mark, so somehow, they were on point. Last game, my prediction for an “Under” missed by just one point, but I did get the Celtics under of 110.5 right.
Thus, the series was expected to be off to a low-scoring start. I believe things will be in a similar territory. The bookmakers believe the Knicks will be held around 100, but I see them going over the mark while holding the Celtics below the stipulated 110 mark again.
Jayson Tatum to score over 28.5 points: JT had a sub-par 23 points night when I had chosen the “Over” for him in terms of points(O 28.5). I believe this time he will go over the mark by a whisker.
Karl-Anthony Towns to score over 18.5 points: KAT scored 14 points, attempting just 13 shots, and nailing two free throws. This was the third straight game where he hit the “Under” mark. I see that changing in Game 2 and believe the center will score around 20.
Josh Hart to grab over 9.5 rebounds: The Knicks guard collected 11 rebounds in Game 1. It was his fourth such outing in five games. I expect him to continue the trend in Game 1.
Main pick: Karl-Anthony Towns O 18.5:+100 at BetMGM
The Celtics squandered a golden chance to win Game 1, but it proves how rough and tough the Knicks are at this point. New York faced tricky situations against the Detroit Pistons and didn’t panic because they had snatched victories from the jaws of defeat in that series.
But now the Celtics know what they are dealing with pretty well. They must re-evaluate the plan to take 60 shots from deep. Yes, they won a title like this before, but playoffs are all about adjustments.
Boston knows how to recover from temporary setbacks and has more playoff experience than New York. I expect them to bounce back, but like on six straight occasions, I am hesitant to take the favorite here to win by 10+ points. I believe New York will cover the spread here even if they lose
Safe Spread Pick: Spread: Knicks +9.5 for +110 at BetMGM
Betting Lines–
Photo Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
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