Knicks Rivalry to Kick Off Amazon Prime Games

The Knicks-Celtics rivalry penned exciting new chapters last season: defending champion Boston, fresh off its NBA record-extending 18th title, handily swept the Knicks in a four-game regular season set but Manhattan earned its revenge in spring's Eastern Conference semifinals with a 4-2 victory. That gave the Knicks their first visit to the NBA's final four in quarter-century, as well as an 8-7 advantage in the all-time postseason series between the two sides.

Of note, the Knicks took the first two games in Beantown thanks to thrilling comebacks from at least 20 points down. Each win was capped off by a clutch defensive play from Mikal Bridges. Boston took two of the next three showings but the Knicks emphatically took the series with a 119-81 shellacking in Game 6 at MSG. The series was partly marred by a devastating injury for Jayson Tatum in Game 4 of the series, as the Celtics franchise face endured a ruptured Achilles that has more or less ruled him out for next season.

Tatum's injury, as well as an effort to stay out of the restrictive second salary apron, led Boston to conduct a mini-fire sale over the offseason, one that bid farewell to notable contributors like Jrue Holiday and former Knicks marquee star Kristaps Porzingis. Boston's teardown has led many to peg the Knicks as premature favorites in the East, especially with so many heroes from the prior playoff series set to return to metropolitan hardwood.

Along with NBC Sports, Prime Video is one of two new television partners set to enter the NBA fold this season, joining Disney's incumbents ABC and ESPN. Prime will carry 66 regular season games, including the knockout round of the NBA Cup in-season tournament, and will also carry the Play-In Tournaments in both the Eastern and Western Conference. Prime will also broadcast a conference finals set in odd-numbered years, with even versions going to NBC.