New York and Boston will meet in the playoffs for the first time since 2013
For the 2025 playoffs, the Celtics are the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Knicks are the #3 seed. In the first round, Boston reached the semi-finals by defeating the Magic 4-1.
Jalen Brunson scored a heroic three-pointer from Jalen Brunson to beat the Pistons in Game 6 on Thursday. With the victory, New York will face the Celtics in the next round. The Knicks and the Celtics met in the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
Will the Knicks bother the Celtics in the semifinals?
Breakdown: Knicks and Celtics in the second round –
Which team wins and in how many games does it win?
– Hoopcentral (@thehoopcentral) May 2, 2025
This is only the fourth time the Knicks and the Celtics have met in the playoffs since 1990. Additionally, this is the first time since 1984 to meet in the second round of the playoffs. In 2013, the Knicks defeated the Celtics in the first round. That was the last time Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett went to Boston. It was also the last game Doc Rivers took as the Celtics head coach. Rivers has been the head coach of the Clippers and the Bucks since the last time they met in New York and Boston.
This is the fourth playoff between the Knicks and the Celtics in the past 35 years. In the 2024-25 regular season, the Knicks lost all four games against Boston. New York needs to have different game plans in the playoffs to beat the Celtics. All they did in the regular season wasn't enough. Jayson Tatum dominated the Knicks in four games this season with the Knicks.
He averaged 33.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. Most importantly, the Celtics are perfect 4-0 vs. Knicks in the regular season. This will be the battle for the star players in this series. Jayson Tatum averaged 31.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per game this season. Jalen Brunson of New York averaged 31.5 points and 8.2 assists per game in the 2025 playoffs. Can the Knicks disappoint the dominant NBA champions and play in the finals for the first time since 1999?
