Wow, was game one something! We saw the Knicks make an epic late-game comeback to send game one into overtime, where they edged out the Celtics by just three points. Now, with the series lead, the Knicks have to go back to the TD Garden for game two and do it all over again.
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Kristaps Porzingis Questionable
Sam Hauser Doubtful
This may have been one of the best starts to round two of the playoffs we have ever had. The Knicks, Nuggets, Pacers, and Warriors all upset their higher-ranked opponents. The Knicks' game felt just a little more special, though. After being dominated by the Celtics all year, they finally got their win. It helped that Boston missed a ton of three-point shots, but part of that was due to the Knicks' defense. You can tell this is the series they’ve had circled since the beginning of the season, and they’ve come ready.
The Celtics, on the other hand, came into this one in a bit of an awkward state. Porzingis has been a questionable presence lately regarding his availability, and they lost Sam Hauser early in the game. That shook up the lineup instantly, leaving Boston a little small at times. They had to lean heavily on Al Horford, who has begun to show his age a bit. Regardless of the personnel, the guys out there couldn’t buy a three. They ended up shooting 15-60 from behind the arc. Still, they nearly won this game, which should make Boston oddly optimistic about this series. The Knicks played some of their best basketball, hitting 45.9% from three, and got just about everything you could ask for from the starting lineup. There aren’t many places where the Knicks can improve coming into this game, which should make them a little worried.
For the Knicks to have a chance at taking game two tonight, we’ll need to see a couple of things. First of all, the defense—OG was a beast out there and a big reason the Celtics shot so poorly from the line. Bridges and Hart were also effective at closing out on shooters, with Bridges getting the game-winning block late down the stretch. If this trio can stay strong and keep running opponents off the three-point line, they’ll at least limit the damage Boston can inflict outside. Secondly, they need to do a better job on the boards. The Celtics managed to out-rebound them by 10, mainly coming from offensive rebounds. Between Towns and Hart, they did fine rebounding, but they need to box out and not lose their man inside. That was a huge part of why Boston managed to hold a lead most of the game. Even if they do all of that, they’re still going to struggle if Boston is hitting their shots.
For Boston, they simply need to hit their shots. They were missing shots they normally make left and right. So if they’re able to raise that shooting percentage even to the mid-30% range, they’ll be in business. What the Celtics do need to worry about is not burning out Tatum. He’s been an ironman in the league, but it seems like his role has only become larger as they lose players. Especially with Brown struggling to find his offense, they’ll need either White or Holiday to find some points tonight to help open up the floor and let Tatum breathe a little. This series isn’t getting any easier on him with OG guarding him.
Ultimately, I think Boston will still take this one. They’ve dominated the Knicks all season, and this game felt like an outlier for Boston. If they’re able to get some Porzingis minutes back or at least hit a few more threes, they should be able to threaten the Knicks again. It’s not going to be easy, but we’ve seen Boston get it done in the past, and tonight is going to be no different.
Money line: NYK (+390) / BOS (-520)
Total Points: 211
Spread: +10.5 NYK (-110) / -10.5 BOS (-110)
I’m sticking with the over for Tatum. He missed it by 5 points in game one after one of the worst shooting nights of the year. OG managed to smother him for most of the game, but despite all that, he still managed to snag 23 points. If Tatum, and frankly the rest of Boston, can make some adjustments, Tatum should find a few more points tonight.
Even though the threes weren’t falling in game one, Pritchard has been the microwave scorer off the bench for the Celtics all year. He’s averaged three made threes per game, so hitting 2 in the playoffs should be doable. Especially with some injuries affecting the Celtics, they may lean even more on Pritchard tonight.
Bridges was essential in the Knicks' OT win the other night. He was incredible, making key blocks and stops on defense that clinched the game for New York. Considering how locked in he’s been on defense, snagging at least two Stocks seems promising. The odds aren't killer, but I could see this line cashing early with how ferocious the Knicks have been playing.
Hart is the type of gadget player that the Celtics struggle against. He’s a do-it-all kind of guy with one of the highest motors in the league. In game one, he was dominant, grabbing 11 rebounds by the end of the game. Now, that might be a little high, but 9 for the over looks solid for him. He averaged 9.5 boards per game during the regular season, so this is right in the range of what he can do.