The Boston Celtics still have a long way to go before the playoffs begin but Sunday’s win over the Knicks could prove pivotal for their quest to repeat as NBA champions. The 118-105 Celtics victory was the third consecutive win over the Knicks this year, locking up the head-to-head tiebreaker for Boston over New York (3-0) with 25 games remaining in the regular season.
The Celtics’ win over the Knicks was their fifth straight overall and gives them a four-game advantage over the Knicks in the East standings with just under two months remaining in the regular season. That four-game lead is effectively 4.5 games with the head-to-head tiebreaker factored in, giving Boston a nice cushion over New York for the No. 2 seed in the East.
Boston still has a lot of work to do to try to chase down the Cavs, trailing by 5.5 games with just one head-to-head meeting leftover. Despite that, Boston has taken full command of the race for the No. 2 seed of late by winning eight of their last nine games. Barring a Cavs collapse in the next month, the Celtics can plan ahead for the postseason and manage minutes well without having to worry about the Knicks looming as a threat for No. 2 seed.
The Celtics can also feel good about a potential second round showdown with New York given the team’s history over the past two years. Not only will Boston have homecourt if the current standings hold but they have also won seven of the last eight head-to-head matchups between the two teams dating back to the start of the 2023-24 season.
Boston has all three meetings this year by an average of 21 points over the Knicks, making them look like a more favorable second-round matchup at this point than the Bucks or Pacers.
The Celtics will face the Knicks one final time this season on April 8th at Madison Square Garden.
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