The New York Knicks host the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The Knicks are 51-28 and third in the East with a 28-9 home record, while the Celtics are 54-25 and second in the East with a 26-14 road record.
The Knicks are coming off an impressive 108-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, their third win in a row. The Celtics have secured their spot as the No. 2 seed in the East with their 113-102 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. This will be the fourth and final encounter between the divisional rivals this season, with the Knicks holding a 2-1 advantage over the Celtics. The last game between the teams on February 7, 2026, resulted in a 111-89 Knicks win.
The Knicks are led by Jalen Brunson, who’s averaging 26.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists. The team’s second option all season has been center Karl-Anthony Towns, who’s averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds this season.
The Celtics have been led by Jaylen Brown this season, although he’s entering this game listed as questionable on the injury report. He’s averaging 28.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists over the season. If Brown misses the game, it’ll be an opportunity for Jayson Tatum to shine, who is averaging 21.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 15 games since returning from an Achilles tear.
This should be a marquee clash between two of the best teams in the East, with the Celtics needing a win to secure the Atlantic Division title and the No. 2 seed in the East. A loss for the Knicks could drop them to No. 4 in the East, so there’s a lot more on the line for them.
Injury Report
Knicks
Tyler Kolek: Questionable (elbow)
Celtics
Jaylen Brown: Questionable (Achilles)
Derrick White: Questionable (knee)
Sam Hauser: Questionable (back)
Neemias Queta: Questionable (toe)
Why The Knicks Have The Advantage
The Knicks will go into this game disappointed that they’re out of the running for the No. 3 seed, especially given their form in recent games. However, this game is still a must-win for the franchise as the Cleveland Cavaliers are just half a game behind them in the standings.
The Knicks have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season, despite potentially ending the season as the No. 4 seed in the East. They have the fifth-best net rating in the NBA with a +6.5 due to their balanced 118.8 offensive and 112.3 defensive rating this season. They can score at a high level while also being capable of shutting down high-level offenses, as displayed in their earlier wins over the Celtics this season.
The Knicks have been one of the best shooting teams in the NBA this season. They have the fourth-best shooting percentage on the season (37.4 3P%), albeit on low volume with 38.3 attempts per game. Their offense works outside shooting into it, rather than it being an explicit focus of their style of play. Thankfully, the Knicks have lineups that allow them to have five shooters on the court at all times.
The Celtics enter this game with four key players as questionable, so if they’re made unavailable, the Knicks will like their chances at facing the Celtics led by just Jayson Tatum, who averages 21.0 points at MSG at a very low 50.0% effective field goal percentage. Even though most overall metrics shade towards the Celtics, the Knicks have been the better team in this matchup all season and are at home.
The Knicks can’t afford to lose and give up their seed to the Cavaliers, so they have a much stronger winning incentive than the Celtics, who are locked into the No. 2 spot regardless.
Why The Celtics Have The Advantage
The Celtics have proven their mettle as one of the best teams in the NBA before Jayson Tatum even returned to the court. They have the third-best net rating in the NBA with a +8.2, led by their 119.9 offensive and 111.7 defensive rating. If all their key players are listed as available for this game, the Celtics will unquestionably have the better team on paper.
The Celtics attempt the fourth-most three-pointers in the NBA with 41.8 attempts per game, converting them at a solid 36.4 3P%. Their outside shooting efficiency isn’t as good as we’ve seen in recent seasons, but it’s important to remember that this was a team that lost many high-level contributors last summer and has essentially replaced them in the aggregate by having their production distributed over the lineup without an adverse effect on their record.
Both teams are closely matched as rebounders, but the Celtics have an edge on this front. They’ve pulled down 46.5 rebounds per game on the season, the fourth-best mark in the NBA, with 12.6 offensive rebounds. While they lag behind the Knicks in offensive rebounding, Boston has proven it can match up with any team on the glass, sometimes purely due to the effort of role-playing bigs like Queta and Luka Garza.
The Celtics are the better team across the floor compared to the Knicks, but since both play at a very high-level, it might come down to effort on the night that seals this win for one team over the other.
X-Factors
Mikal Bridges never misses games, but he also needs to produce at an All-Star level if the Knicks hope to live up to their potential. He should be their third option behind Brunson and Towns, but his offensive inconsistencies have him averaging 4.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. His main strength in this game will be defensively, as Bridges is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, and the Knicks will need him to slow Tatum and Brown down.
Josh Hart has had a great season with the Knicks, averaging 11.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists. He plays with a lot of effort and heart, which has made him a huge positive contributor for the franchise all season in a variety of roles. They’ll rely on him to not only be an offensive contributor but also play hard defense to ensure the Celtics can be held to a rough night.
Derrick White is questionable for this game, but his presence might swing this game for the Celtics. He’s one of the most consistent two-way guards in the NBA, averaging 16.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists this season. He has thrived as a combo guard on the Celtics, being able to lock down high-level perimeter players while being a consistent offensive threat.
Payton Pritchard might win Sixth Man of the Year for his performances this season, averaging 16.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.1 assists for the franchise this season. His development has been one of the key reasons the Celtics were able to withstand the absences of players like Tatum. If Pritchard is cooking offensively, the Celtics are basically unbeatable, having a 15-1 record when Pritchard scores over 25 points.
Prediction
The Celtics might be the better team on paper if they play their core rotation, but we’re siding with the Knicks here. The Knicks cannot afford to lose a single game, given the incredible form with which the Cavaliers have been chasing them down. With the Celtics already securing their seed in the East, it seems like New York’s added motivation can help them sail to a narrow win.
Prediction: Knicks 125, Celtics 119
