It might still seem strange to some NBA fans, but the New York Knicks are now one of the best teams in the league. Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and the rest of the Knicks took down a strong Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, and they’re well on their way to beating the Indiana Pacers in what may turn out to be a quick series.
While the Knicks understand that the Pacers can quickly turn the series into a tight contest, the fans are already looking far into the future. In fact, they’ve singled out one team as the opponents their team should take down in the Eastern Conference Finals.
New York Knicks fans want their team to beat the Boston Celtics in the ECF
After the Knicks took down Indiana in Game 2, the fans couldn’t hide their delight at what was happening. As they were leaving the Madison Square Garden, segments of the Knicks fanbase started a chant that was pretty much a declaration of war:
Is the chant unnecessary? Charles Barkley thinks so. It’s clear to everyone that the Celtics are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, and directly calling them out when the Knicks aren’t even in the Eastern Conference Finals yet is only going to attract trouble for the team.
This is especially true as Rick Carlisle and the rest of the Pacers bench feel slighted by the quality of officiating in the first two games. The last thing they want now is to give Tyrese Haliburton and the rest of the Pacers motivation to beat them in consecutive games.
Does the New York Knicks have a shot at beating the Boston Celtics?
If you look at the –regular-season series between the two teams, the Celtics have a clear edge over New York. Of the five games they played throughout the season, the C’s won four. However, it’s also important to note that the Knicks managed to take down the Celtics down a peg during their final regular-season game.
If the Knicks get past the Pacers, they’ll be facing an uphill battle. However, Brunson and the rest of the Knicks like their odds.
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