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The Boston Celtics got through the opening act of the playoffs as they eliminated the Orlando Magic in five games. Now they have an extremely high-profile second-round matchup with the New York Knicks, and it will be a key step on their way to a second consecutive NBA title and the 19th in franchise history — if they can get through it.
On the surface, this series looks made to order for the Celtics. They beat the Knicks in all four meetings this season, and in fairly dominant fashion. The Celtics are a much better three-point shooting team and they are at least as good as the Knicks in all the areas New York has strength. But this is the playoffs, and nothing is guaranteed.
The Knicks were pushed to the limit by the Detroit Pistons, a team that is starting to gain strength but one that is still growing and maturing. If the Knicks had lost, it would have been a major disappointment. But now they have gotten over a hurdle and they have relieved some of the pressure that had been mounting. There's a chance that they can reverse some of the Celtics superiority that has been established in recent matchups.
Here's a look at Celtics predictions for their second-round series with the Knicks.
Power forward Jaylen Brown will serve as the closer against the Knicks
The Celtics have a brilliant 1-2 punch with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Both players have demonstrated more than enough individual talent since the start of their careers, but the reason the Celtics won the title last season is that they have both become team players who will do anything to help Boston win.
Tatum is the team's big-time scorer who can string together three-point shots and also take over with both his driving and intermediate game. Tatum averaged 31.3 points, 11.3 rebound and 5.3 assists while playing four games against the Magic. He missed one game as a result of a hard fall he had taken on his wrist. Those were brilliant numbers, but Brown was a big part of the series with an average of 23.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
Tatum may have the more prolific numbers, but Brown demonstrated that he could come through when the game is on the line. This came to the surface during last year's Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers and the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.
If the Knicks can press the Celtics, it is the ability of these two stars to bring out the best in each other that will give the Celtics the edge.
Guard Jrue Holiday will make key defensive plays that ensure the series goes in the Celtics' favor
Holiday is one of the most effective players in the NBA and he proved he was just what the team needed in last year's playoff run.
While he is not a dominant scorer, he can hit the key shots if that's what is needed. He can drive to the basket against much bigger men and also hit 3-point shots. However, his best asset is the stellar defense he can play against dominant offensive players.
That means he will be asked to slow down Jalen Brunson when the game is on the line. Nobody can stop Brunson for 48 minutes, but Holiday is good enough to frustrate Brunson in the final 5 minutes of the fourth quarter.
Celtics will eliminate Knicks in 6 games
The playoff series against the Knicks will not be as overpowering as the regular-season series. For one thing, New York head coach Tom Thibodeau is one of the elite defensive coaches in the history of the NBA. He is capable of coming up with the kind of strategy that should result in one road victory and one at Madison Square Garden.
Celtics fans may be shocked at the idea of losing two games against the Knicks, but Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla has a team that is thoroughly professional.
The Celtics are not going to lose their focus if they drop a game or two of this series. They are a confident and powerful team and they will survive and advance thanks to Tatum, Brown, Holiday, Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and the Celtics' bench crew.
The series will have moments that go in New York's favor, but the Celtics will survive and advance.
