Last offseason, the New York Knicks maneuvered just in case a playoff matchup with the Boston Celtics presented itself. And here we are. The Knicks enter Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals as historic underdogs against the Celtics. And that makes sense. New York was 0-4 this season against Boston. And the defending champions looked even better than last year when they won the championship. Still, there is hope. New York just proved many naysayers wrong in advancing past the Detroit Pistons in six games, even if they were the higher seed. And they play with a perpetual underdog spirit.
At the end of the day, though, the Knicks will have to do a number of things right—if not perfect—to advance past the Celtics. The Celtics are an offensive and defensive juggernaut. And the Knicks will have to prepare and execute accordingly. But there are three specific keys to New York’s success.
Limit Celtics’ 3-point attempts
The Celtics attempted the most three-pointers in 2024-25 by a pretty wide margin. They shot a staggering 48.2 per game. And they connected on 36.8%.However, in the first-round of the playoffs against the undermanned Orlando Magic, Boston shot only 31.2 per game. Some of this had to do with the game slowing down in the postseason, especially against a great defensive team like Orlando. But there is also the Magic’s defensive strategy to consider.
First and most importantly, Orlando was physical. They roughed the Celtics up at pretty much every opportunity. That will wear on any team. More specifically, to the 3-point shooting, Orlando’s above-average defenders recovered to Celtics’ shooters to push them off the three-point line. They also aggressively switched Kristaps Porzingis screens, enticing Porzingis to post against smaller defenders.
All of the above strategies will have to be employed by the Knicks. But it’s going to come down to will and discipline. Can the Knicks stay with their defensive assignments, only helping in strategic situations? Can they avoid going under screens on the perimeter? And can they force Boston into mid-range jumpers? If so, they’ll be in good shape.
Get Celtics wings into foul trouble
This is another incredibly important aspect. As the Knicks saw against Detroit, one way to change the game’s dynamic is to get your opponents in foul trouble. With Boston, it’s most important to get Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday in trouble. While all five Celtics’ starters are obviously important, their most impactful reserves—Payton Pritchard and Al Hartford—are not wings. Thus, getting wings in foul trouble is of the utmost importance.
Boston will obviously be aware of the Knicks’ desire to get their stars into foul trouble. But there’s little they can do if New York executes its game plan correctly. It begins with putting Jalen Brunson in pick-and-rolls with one of those wings. Start with a Brunson-OG Anunoby pick and roll. If Brown is the primary defender, he’ll probably switch to Brunson because the other defender will probably not want to pick up a foul while fighting over. Then, Brunson does what he does best: torture Brown with head fakes and footwork.
If whoever is guarding Brunson works over the screen, that’s fine, too, as it is likely going to be Holiday or White. But the goal is to isolate the best matchup. It could just as easily involve isolating Mikal Bridges and Holiday. Or getting Hart going downhill toward the rim as a roller. And if all else fails and the Celtics defend it perfectly, you look for Towns in the post to punish the slimmer Porzingis.
None of the above strategies is foolproof. The Celtics employed the league’s second-stingiest defense this season, allowing only 107.2 points per game. So, executing a winning offensive strategy against Boston’s defense is easier said than done. But New York has to hope to get the Celtics out of their comfort zone early and often.
Keep the rebounding battle close
The 2024-25 Knicks are not the rebounding machine that they were last season. Still, with Mitchell Robinson back in the mix, they have the distinct advantage of playing the best offensive rebounder in the series. Boston was the seventh-best defensive rebounding team this season. But Robinson converts tips and put-back dunks, while also batting out missed shot attempts for additional possessions. Those will be important for New York, as they struggle to match the Celtics’ long-range accuracy. And coach Tom Thibodeau must understand how much Robinson will impact this series.
Additionally, Towns and Josh Hart both rank higher (seventh and eighth, respectively) on the postseason rebounding leaderboard than anyone on the Celtics roster. Granted, those two are more defensive rebounders than offensive. But that’s equally important, as giving up additional possessions can be a killer, especially in the playoffs, and especially to a team that shoots the basketball as well as the Celtics do. We just saw how giving up offensive rebounds can make a less talented team look superior in the first-round series against the Pistons. Imagine what it does against a team like the Celtics? So, Towns and Hart will have to dominate the defensive glass.
Ultimately, the Knicks have a lot to contend with in the Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup against the Celtics. But New York was built for this series. It might a tall order. But the Knicks have the Clutch Player of the Year (Brunson) on their side. Hopefully he can deliver another big series. And hopefully the rest of the roster is ready for what’s ahead.
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