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The stage is set for the Eastern Conference semifinals series between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks, as Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown provided an injury update, and Kristaps Porzingis is anticipating a hard-fought battle. For the first time in a dozen years, Boston and the Knicks will go head-to-head in a playoff series, adding much anticipation between the two rival cities.
The defending-champion Celtics will host the Knicks for Game 1 at TD Garden on Monday en route to defending their title. Brown addressed the magnitude of Boston’s best-of-seven series, per the Boston Herald’s Zach Cox.
“It’s a great stage for basketball, just all the history between Boston and New York. It’s great to be able to relive in that. Boston versus New York, it don’t get much better than that.”
For Porzingis, it’ll be the first time he’s faced the team that drafted him with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft in a playoff series.
“Even between the fanbases,” Porzingis said, “it’s going to be a war.”
The Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals after a 116-113 win against the Detroit Pistons in Game 6. They will face a Celtics team coming off a 4-1 opening-round series win against the Orlando Magic.
After a few days’ rest, Brown, recovering from a right knee injury, says he’s feeling better as the postseason progresses.
“I think I’m starting to turn the corner,” Brown said. “Structurally, everything is fine. I’ve had some other stuff going on, but I think I’m trending in the right direction.”
Jaylen Brown with a positive injury update, says he thinks he’s trending toward 100%:
“I think I’m starting to turn the curve. Structurally, everything is fine. I’ve had some other stuff going on, but I think I’m trending in the right direction.”
(Q: @RealBobManning) pic.twitter.com/DCFDckmVsd
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) May 3, 2025
Celtics starting guard Jrue Holiday missed the last three games of the first-round series against the Magic because of a right hamstring injury. He’s considered day-to-day ahead of the Celtics’ second-round series against the Knicks. Holiday won this year’s Sportsmanship award for the second time.
Jaylen Brown gets real on Celtics’ first-round opponent
Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown was impressed with the fight he felt in his opening-round series against the Magic. While the Celtics were able to wrap up the best-of-seven series in five games, Brown gave the Magic their respect for the level at which they competed.
“It was a fight. It was a fight physically, mentally [with] Orlando,” Brown said. “Shout out to them. One team had to advance. Fortunately, it was us. But respect to Orlando.”
The Celtics will prepare to take on the Knicks over the weekend.
