Three Things the Celtics Need to do to Beat New York Knicks, Avoid 0-2 Start

Joe Mazzulla spent the whole training camp focusing on communication and connection, and then the communication fell apart against the Pistons. Fixing that is one of three things the Celtics need to do to bounce back from the season-opening loss.

May 7, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) drives the ball against Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) in the second quarter during game two of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Either the Boston Celtics or the New York Knicks are starting the season 0-2 tonight. It would be disheartening if it was the Celtics, but we also have to remember last year’s 56-win team started the season 0-3. 

Knicks at Celtics, TD Garden, 7 p.m.
TV: Amazon Prime
Boston projected starters: Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Mitchell Robinson
New York projected starters: Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns

Officials: Sean Wright (#4) Brian Forte (#45) Sha'Rae Mitchell (#98)

Injuries: Devin Carter (out, illness)

Disappointing doesn’t mean disastrous. Still, they’d like to avoid that, so here’s what the Celtics need to do to beat the Knicks. 

Centers step up

Mitchell Robinson can say what he wants, but every basketball player ever would want to roast his old teammates in this situation, just because dudes love nothing more than ragging on each other and this would give him all the ammunition to do so. 

Roasting his old team means executing what the Celtics want him to execute, it’s about great picks, reading the result, and then acting accordingly in the flow of the offense to get points on the board and then go back and set their defense. 

More than the Mitchell/Karl-Anthony Towns matchup, it’s the Neemias Queta/Andre Drummond matchup where the Celtics can really thrive. Drummond needs to be attacked relentlessly, which should force Mike Brown to put KAT back in, which would put the Knicks in a bind as the game winds down. 

And as much as the Pistons were a bad matchup for Luka Garza, the Knicks would be a good one to throw a pick-and-pop element into the game. 

This could be a big redemption game for all three centers. 

Get Jayson Tatum some easy ones

My biggest issue with Tatum’s game in Detroit was that he reverted back to the gliding, finesse style of layup attempts at the rim. He needs to play off two feet more and play with some force through contact to get to the free throw line. 

But let’s start slow and run some designed plays, some back-screens and curls off pin-downs, that get him moving towards the paint. Hopefully that gets him some easy looks that get him going. 

Playing against the Knicks instead of the Pistons will certainly help. 

Better communication

Joe Mazzulla spent the whole training camp focusing on communication and connection, and then the communication fell apart against the Pistons. 

“I think if you communicate even if you’re out of position it usually helps clear things up,” Sam Hauser said at the team’s Thursday practice. “It happens from time to time. As much as you don’t want it to happen, it happens. You know, first game of the year there’s a lot of pent-up energy, excitement, nervousness, whatever it may be, that sometimes that stuff gets lost in translation. So it’s something you’ve just got to get better at.”

The Celtics spent the preseason showing they could swarm and play on a string. Then the speed of the game changed against a great team like Detroit and they froze. It happens, that's for sure. But it can’t happen two games in a row.