Two Atlantic Division teams collide this Tuesday night as the Boston Celtics pay the New York Knicks a visit at Madison Square Garden. The Celtics enter this game as losers of their last three games while the Knicks have won four of their last five. Can Boston finally get back on track or will New York continue to roll?
[sc:NBA250 ]Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this intriguing showdown. And if you’re craving for some college basketball action as well, click here for our preview of the Kansas Jayhawks vs. West Virginia Mountaineers and here for Miami (FL) Hurricanes vs. Virginia Cavaliers.
[sc:NBAArticles ]
Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks Betting Preview
[sc:NBA240banner ]Even with 35 points, three rebounds and eight dimes from their top player in Isaiah Thomas, the Boston Celtics couldn’t put away the Memphis Grizzlies, who edged past them, 101-98, last Sunday night. The performance of Zach Randolph (25 points and 13 boards) proved to be just enough to give the Celtics their 18th loss of the season and their third-straight setback. Now, they’ll try once again to stop the bleeding against New York Knicks tonight.
Defense will be of utmost importance in this game as the Celtics will look to keep Carmelo Anthony (21.6 PPG) and Kristaps Porzingis (13.6 PPG) from finding their groove. But that should be relatively easy to accomplish since Boston’s been doing a good job on defense this season with only 99.0 points allowed per game.
As for the offense, it’s obvious that the Celtics will look to Thomas to lead the charge. The 26-year-old point guard has played really well in 17 road games this year, averaging 21.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists while shooting 43 percent from the field. Against the Knicks, however, Thomas owns a mediocre 35.2 shooting percentage and has been limited to 15.6 points per contest across nine career games.
Fortunately, the Celtics still have a number of reliable options to choose from for offense. They have Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder, who are contributing 14.7 PPG and 14.0 PPG respectively on the season. Crowder, in particular, could provide more trouble for the Knicks defense as he’s finished with at least 10 points in his previous 10 games. That stretch includes, their 103-94 win over Brooklyn on January 4, wherein he erupted for a season-best of 25 points along with six rebounds and three steals.
Boston is 6-4 SU and 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games on the road.
Following their gut-wrenching one-point loss to the Spurs last Friday, the New York Knicks immediately responded with a resounding 100-88 win over the visiting Bucks on Sunday night. It was none other than the duo of Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis who led the charge for them.
Anthony flirted with a triple-double as he finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists under his belt. Porzingis, on the other hand, went 5-of-11 from the field for 15 points along with a game-high of five blocks. He also delivered the highlight of the night with his vicious put-back jam during the third period.
With the win, the Knicks have now won four of their last five games and will clearly have momentum on their side when the Boston Celtics come to town. New York will surely have revenge on their minds against the Celtics, who beat them earlier this season at the TD Garden.
Anthony, their leading scorer (21.6), managed to put up 29 points and 10 boards but his efforts were wasted as the Knicks eventually fell short in that game, 100-91. For them to avoid another loss to Boston, their defense has got to hold strong all game long and prevent the Celtics’ offense (102.4 points per game) from finding a consistent rhythm.
Once they succeed in d0ing so, it can somehow allow Anthony to spend most of his energy in racking up the points. The 31-year-old veteran has torched the Celtics throughout his career, tallying ridiculous averages of 25.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.6 dimes across 29 games.
Meanwhile, Porzingis should also be able to establish his presence in this one as he’s played considerably well in 17 games at Madison Square Garden this season with 14.6 PPG and 8.2 RPG.
New York is 7-3 SU and ATS in its past 10 home games
Writer’s Prediction
Boston wins but fails to cover the spread. Create a betting account now and put your NBA predictions to the test!
