The New York Knicks head into their second-round matchup as massive underdogs to the Boston Celtics. It’s hard to find any analyst, expert, or fan who believes that NY has a chance even to keep the series competitive against the defending champion Celtics. After a disastrous regular season series in which Boston swept the Knicks, 4-0, with three of the wins being blowouts, not much is expected of Tom Thibodeau’s group.
This sentiment has only increased with New York’s struggles to beat the Detroit Pistons. Not only did their first-round matchup against the upstart Pistons take six games, but every one of them was close in the fourth quarter. The final five games were decided by a combined 15 points. Although NY was able to escape the gritty squad from the Motor City behind Jalen Brunson‘s clutch heroics, they didn’t give Knicks fans any reasons for optimism against the beast that is the Boston Celtics.
With all of that said, you might think the Knicks are playing with house money. If they lose, well, that’s what was expected. If they win, it goes down as a legendary upset, right? While this is true in some sense, New York actually has a lot riding on this series. It won’t be surprising if they lose in four or five games, but the expectations should be higher for several reasons. As far-fetched as it may seem, NY still has a chance to win this series.
2 Reasons the Knicks Must Beat the Celtics
1. Boston is Banged Up
Perhaps the biggest reason the Knicks have no excuse to at least be competitive with the Celtics is injuries. Sure, both teams are nursing injuries, and no one is truly healthy in the playoffs. However, three of Boston’s five best players are severely hampered heading into this matchup. Jayson Tatum hurt his right wrist in the first round vs. Orlando and gutted through it after missing Game 2. While Tatum played very well to finish the series, the bone bruise in his shooting wrist could slow him down throughout a physical second-round fight. If Boston’s best player is even a little limited at times, NY’s chances for an upset skyrocket.
The two Celtics who appear to be legitimately injured, however, are Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown. Holiday strained his hamstring and missed the final three games of the first round. He’s not on the injury report and will play in Game 1, but it seems like he’ll be playing hurt. Holiday is an extremely tough player, but he is also on the older side. Holiday is Boston’s best option to guard Brunson, so anything that slows him down is a welcome sight for New York.
Brown has been nursing a knee injury for months. It doesn’t seem likely that he’ll be completely back to normal until the offseason, and he has lacked his usual burst and athleticism every time he’s taken the floor. New York has somehow emerged from a grueling season and first-round war with Detroit as the healthier team than the well-rested Celtics. There’s no excuse to be uncompetitive in this series.
2. Leon Rose Bet Everything On This Core
The other reason the Knicks are under massive pressure to prove they’re on Boston’s level is the resources that were committed to building this team. GM Leon Rose took a gamble on restructuring this core’s identity when he shipped out beloved Knicks such as Donte DiVincenzo, Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and draft capital to bring in OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns. New York shifted from a defensive-minded, gritty squad to a hyper-talented, offensive-driven team in the span of a year. So far, it’s worked out well, notching 51 wins and another playoff series win. However, if they’re blown out by Boston, hard questions have to be asked about the future of this core.
It’s only year one of this current group, and championship teams aren’t built overnight. It typically takes years of failure to reach the mountaintop for the same set of players. Just look at the Tatum/Brown Celtics, who lost in the playoffs together six times before finally cracking through in 2024. However, if NY looks outclassed in their first tough postseason test, expect trade rumors to swirl around Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, or whatever other star is available this offseason.
Rose parted ways with five first-round picks and several veteran Knicks to create this team. He did it to increase their championship ceiling. Losing in four or five games to the defending champs would not reflect well on that mission. Yes, Boston is a monster. They’re a well-oiled machine with depth at every position. But NY has a ton of talent of their own, and a superstar point guard who isn’t scared of anybody. They should expect to win, and so should the fans.
Featured image: © Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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