For the 2025 playoffs, the Celtics are the second seed in the Eastern Conference, and the Knicks are the third seed. In the first round, Boston defeated Magic 4-1 to advance to the conference semi-finals.
I needed a heroic 3-pointer from Jalen Brunson on Thursday. The Nicks became the Knicks to beat the Pistons in Game 6. That victory will bring New York to the Celtics in the next round. The Knicks and Celtics are meeting the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
Can the Knicks confuse the Celtics in the semi-finals of the conference?
Broken: Knicks vs. The Celtics in the second round –
Which team wins and how many games will they win? https://t.co/bqgw3ouwxj
– Hoopcentral (@thehoopcentral) May 2, 2025
Since 1990, this is the fourth time the Knicks and Celtics have met in the postseason. Plus, it’s the first time since 1984 that we met in the second round of the playoffs. In 2013, the Knicks defeated the Celtics in the opening round. That was the last time Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett played for Boston. It was also Doc Rivers’ final game as Celtics head coach. Rivers has been the head coach of the Clippers and Bucks since the last time New York and Boston met.
This is the fourth playoff meeting between the Knicks and Celtics in the last 35 years. During the 2024-25 regular season, the Knicks lost all four matchups against Boston. New York needs a different game plan in the postseason to beat the Celtics. What they did in the regular season wasn’t enough. Jason Tatum dominated the Knicks vs Knicks this season.
He averages 33.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. Plus, the Celtics were the Knicks vs The Knicks in the regular season. It will be a battle for the stars of this series. Jayson Tatum averages 31.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per game this postseason. New York’s Jalen Brunson averaged 31.5 points and 8.2 assists per game in the 2025 playoffs. Will the Knicks be able to dominate the NBA champions and perform in their first conference final since 1999?