Boston finds itself in a tough spot, as game four brought some unexpected challenges. Unfortunately, Jayson Tatum will not be joining the team for the remainder of the season due to his Achilles tendon injury. With Tatum out and the team trailing 1-3 against the Knicks, tonight’s matchup is sure to be intense. Can the resilient Celtics rally together at home, or will we witness the Knicks advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000?
Sam Hauser Probable
Jayson Tatum Out
None
This game is quite disappointing. It had been one of the most captivating series in the playoffs, but now the outlook for Boston seems grim. Game four started off amazing, with Tatum delivering his best performance of the playoffs, but late in the fourth quarter, he stepped awkwardly and went down. Yesterday, ESPN reported that it was indeed an injury to his Achilles tendon. This is a significant setback for Boston, as they fell behind in game four, leaving the current situation as it is. The Knicks are leading the series, and Boston faces elimination at home in TD Garden.
This doesn’t mean that Boston is out of the game by any means! They’ve had some good matchups against the Knicks this season, and with their talented roster, someone is sure to step up and help fill the scoring void left by Tatum. However, the big challenge is figuring out how this team can cover for all the little things Tatum contributes on the court, like his defense and rebounding. It’s really going to depend on players like Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, and Porzingis to step up. If this team can come together and keep playing their unique brand of basketball, there’s still hope!
For Boston to claim victory, they’ll need to keep their shooting sharp. Although Tatum has been a key player in that area, if Boston can keep launching those three-pointers, they still have a strong chance against New York. The Knicks typically don’t match Boston's explosive offense, as they rely more on consistency. So, if Boston can start strong and sink some threes from players like Pritchard and White, they could outscore the Knicks. But I do have some concerns about the team’s defense.
Defensively, Tatum was a huge asset, and with Porzingis playing limited minutes and Al Horford facing some challenges, Boston is in a slightly vulnerable position. With the number of solid wings the Knicks have, their rotations need to be spot-on.
Ultimately, the Knicks just feel like the lucky ones who avoided injury this year. They’ve faced their share of adversity with injuries, but this feels like they're time. I expect to see more of Bridges tonight! He’s been the fourth scoring option for the Knicks throughout most of the series, but without Tatum on the court, I think he’ll have a solid matchup depending on who Brown is guarding. If Bridges finds Hauser to defend him, he might maneuver right past him and create some real challenges for Boston. Ultimately, tonight's game will come down to consistency for the Knicks. They need to drive to the rim all night to keep the points coming. Boston remains a very capable shooting team, but as long as the Knicks stay resilient and keep pushing forward, they should be in good shape. On defense, covering the perimeter is crucial for New York; they have to rotate effectively and respond quickly on closeouts. With players like White, Pritchard, and Brown, they can still make an impact!
All in all, I’m feeling pretty optimistic about the Knicks pulling off a win tonight! The atmosphere at TD is sure to be emotional, and I believe the energy will be a bit different than usual. I expect the Celtics to come out strong right from the start, relying on their three-point shots like they usually do, but if those aren’t falling, they might struggle. It just seems like Boston is a bit defeated at the moment, and the Knicks are well aware that they need to wrap up this series, especially with the Pacers waiting for them to finish. Considering how hungry this team has been this year, I really don’t think they’ll allow this game to stretch into game six, even though that would be exciting to watch! That’s why I’m leaning towards the Knicks moneyline, the Over on the 207.5 points total, and the Knicks’ spread.
Money line: NYK (+145) / BOS (-175)
Total Points: 207.5
Spread: +4.5 NYK (-112) / -4.5 BOS (-108)
White has been a key player in this series, operating as the third scoring option. However, due to Tatum’s injury, he may become the natural number two or even number one option tonight. With his ability to knock down threes, we could see his volume increase even more. Considering White has only been under 19 points once in this series, the over looks excellent again tonight.
Bridges has been a bit inconsistent on offense this series. He’s been hovering around the 15-point range in most of these games but has only excelled in one of them. However, with Tatum out, that should open up the Boston defense, even with Hauser likely returning tonight. If Mikal can increase his shot volume, he should be able to reach 15 points again.
This is the moment Brown will have to step up for. He isn’t clearly the number one in Boston, which means he’ll need to fill the gaps left by Tatum as much as he can. Given how stellar Tatum has been on the boards, his absence will create plenty of opportunities for Brown to snag a few more rebounds. He’s already averaging around 6 a game, so adding two more while getting some plus odds on the line looks good to me.
OG has been a solid shooter for the Knicks, but he’s been inconsistent. In this series, he came out hot, hitting 6 threes in one game, but then managed just one in the next two games combined. By the end of Game Four, he had splashed 4 more, but I don’t expect the Knicks to rely heavily on threes in this game. I think they’re going to attack the paint as much as possible and try to be a little more consistent tonight.