Stephen A. Smith claims Knicks-Celtics Game 4 has Game 7 implications

“I believe tonight’s Game 4 winner wins the series,” Smith said. “Period… If the New York Knicks are able to turn that around and win Game 4… That tells me they could win this series [over the Celtics].”

The Knicks stole Games 1 and 2 earlier in the series. However, they were also abhorrent shooting performances by the Celtics. Considering that New York only won by three and a single point in those games, respectively, that’s a bit concerning.

On Saturday, the Celtics looked like themselves and won convincingly. As a result, Knicks fans were in shambles after the 22-point loss.

Still, it shows how dominant Boston is and how quickly they can flip the switch. They’ve also had tons of counters, much like New York has.

It’s been a tit for tat series in terms of the game plan. Either way, Game 4 can be electric, with the Knicks faithful hoping to take a 3-1 series lead.

Who would Stephen A Smith want between the Knicks and Celtics?

Smith has the New York bias and isn’t afraid to show it. Plus, the Knicks and Celtics are one of the oldest rivalries in sports. Not to mention, plenty of other New York and Boston teams despise one another.

This only adds more fuel to the fire for this series.

In the regular season, though, the Celtics swept the Knicks 4-0 for the first time since the 2017-18 season. Considering that Boston won the 2024 NBA championship, that metric is a bit surprising.

Still, the Knicks got the last laugh in Boston. The latter fumbled in front of its home crowd and let New York steal two games they shouldn’t have.

No matter what happens, the energy will be buzzing in Madison Square Garden on Monday. The energy will likely be that of a Game 7.

With a chance to go up 3-1 in the series, all hands are on deck. All cards are on the table for anything crazy to transpire.

At the end of the day, Smith’s point is certainly valid, considering the enormity of the series. The winner of this game could decide the series. And the winner of the series could represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.

Game 4 could be rewritten as a Game 7.