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The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks tip off tonight in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, and fans are ready for a hard-fought series between the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the East.
Unfortunately for New York fans, the Celtics are the most heavily favored team to win their series of all the Semifinal matchups, listed at -850 on FanDuel sportsbook, most likely due to the fact that Boston swept the Knicks in regular-season play, winning all four matchups in dominating fashion.
The good news is, Knicks fans, crazier things have happened. Here's how experts are picking the series.
James Edwards, The Athletic: Celtics in 5
Edwards: "All of the Celtics’ best players defend at a good-to-high level. There is no weak link to pick on. That’s not the case for the Knicks. New York’s best closing lineup will always have two defenders with limitations. Furthermore, the Celtics will always have at least three players on the court who can break down a defense off the dribble and create advantages. That is a glaring weakness of New York’s roster this season. At this stage, it’s hard to generate a sustainable half-court offense over 48 minutes without multiple dribble-drive playmakers, and the Knicks are lacking in that department. Boston is a bad matchup for 99 percent of the NBA, but specifically the Knicks."
Stefan Bondy, New York Post: Celtics in 5
Bondy: "The Celtics are too good, too deep, too adept at sending the Knicks into mismatches. New York’s best hope is Boston falls into an extended shooting slump. Don’t think it’s going to happen."
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David Vertsberger, SNY: Celtics in 5
Vertsberger: "The Knicks will need championship poise to counter this -- limited giveaways, domination on both sides of the glass, and a defensive focus on getting Boston away from their ideal looks. Put simply, it won’t take many of these unfocused, sloppy stretches we saw in the Detroit series to give this Boston team 20-point leads that New York would struggle to overcome. Unfortunately, the cracks that formed in the regular season seemed to have been exposed, if not worsened, in a first round that looked way too difficult for them. That doesn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence, so barring a major in-series leap from this Knicks team, we’re taking the Celtics in five games."
Nick Goss, NBC Sports Boston: Celtics in 5
"The Celtics are a bad matchup for the Knicks. They also have homecourt advantage, much more playoff experience, a deeper roster and the best player in the series in Tatum. Boston is a little banged up, so injuries could definitely be a factor, but it's probably going to take a near-perfect effort from New York to pull off the upset."
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