The Boston Celtics were one of the favorites to make it out of the East last year, presumably due to their status as reigning champions. Unfortunately, things unraveled during their matchup against the New York Knicks, resulting in an early exit for Jaylen Brown and the Celtics after Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles injury.
Needless to say, Jaylen Brown hasn’t forgotten the loss. While discussing it on his recent livestream, Brown credited the Knicks for beating Boston. However, in light of his team’s performance this year, Brown was confident about Boston’s chances of beating New York in the playoffs this year.
“It felt like death… The Knicks, good team. But to blow two 20-point leads, like how does that happen?” Brown began. “The energy was off, and we lost, but shout out to the Knicks. They won. They moved on. We lost. We did it to ourselves. Can’t be mad at it.”
“But this story’s a different year,” Brown continued. “We might match up with the Knicks again, and we’ve got to be ready to slide. We’ve got our young killers right here. Sometimes, you’ve got to spin the block. You’ve got to run it back.”
The loss to the Knicks triggered a series of unfortunate events for the Boston Celtics. From Tatum’s prolonged absence to the offseason roster overhaul, Jaylen Brown and the Celtics were left in a vulnerable position.
Still, Boston has risen above these challenges. As the second-seeded team in the East (53-25), the Celtics are yet again viewed as one of the favorites to compete for the title. With Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum eager to get their revenge on the Knicks, a potential playoff matchup between the two teams is bound to be exciting.
Can Jaylen Brown And The Celtics Beat The Knicks This Year?
Heading into the 2025-26 season, especially after the kind of run the New York Knicks had in the playoffs last year, there was virtually no question about who would be the favorites in the East. After some solid roster moves in the offseason, it seemed evident that the Knicks would be among the top teams in the conference.
While this has held for the most part, the Knicks’ recent outings have suggested otherwise.
Although New York (51-28) has been stacking up wins lately, it is apparent that there are some underlying issues. Despite being on a three-game winning streak, the third-seeded Knicks have looked vulnerable, posting a 7-3 record in their last 10 games, which included a three-game losing streak to close out March.
In comparison, the Celtics have remained solid. Along with a three-game winning streak, Boston has also posted an 8-2 record in their last 10 games. With Jayson Tatum getting his groove back and Jaylen Brown building upon his MVP-caliber season, Boston appears to be a genuine title contender.
At the current juncture, even though the Knicks enjoy a 2-1 lead in the season series against Boston, there is no reason to believe that the Celtics can’t beat the Knicks in a seven-game series. On that note, the Knicks’ upcoming matchup against the Celtics on Thursday, April 9, may be the ultimate test heading into the postseason.
