New York Knicks at Boston Celtics Preview: How, Who to Watch in Final Road Game

The New York Knicks will finally look to get lucky against the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.

Fifth time's the charm?

The New York Knicks certainly hope so: they have a chance to to close in on homecourt advantage with a win on Thursday night, but standing in their way is the NBA-leading Boston Celtics, who have had the Knicks' number all season.

New York has accomplished plenty this season but a win over the mighty Celtics has proven elusive. All but one of the four meetings to date has been decided by double-figures, as Boston has established a "Celtics vs. the field" mentality in the Eastern Conference. Boston has nothing to gain or lose, having long-established themselves as the top seed in both the conference and the NBA as a whole. Nonetheless, they'll likely give it their all against a potential postseason foe, as well as search for their first four-plus game season sweep of the Knicks since 2010-11.

If the Knicks win two of their final three games, they'll be no worse than the fourth seed on the Eastern bracket. But they'll seek to stay in the third spot as it would help them avoid the Celtics until at least the conference final round. Thursday will also mark the Knicks' final road game of the regular season, and they're 22-18 away from Madison Square Garden so far.

What: New York Knicks (47-32) @ Boston Celtics (62-17)

Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA

When/Watch: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Who's Favored: NYK -2.5

Keep An Eye On: OG Anunoby

Two polarizing themes have defined the Knicks' season: they can't seem to win against the Celtics and they can't seem to lose when Anunoby is in the lineup: wins in three of the past four have allowed New York to improve to 17-3 when he dons his blue-and-orange uniform, but this will be the first time he faces Boston as a Manhattanite. Matchups like these are the reason why Anunoby was brought in, even if the Celtics' relative resting nature prevents it from being a true momentum-shifter or measuring stick game. The Knicks, however, could use any help they can get going into the postseason, especially as they seek to brew some chemistry with the closest thing they'll get to a fully-stocked lineup.

May 16, 2021; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Taj Gibson (67) shoots the ball over

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Celtic to Watch: Luke Kornet

Kornet was a brief bit player in New York, but he has established himself as a lasting member of the Celtics' rotation. Since March tipped off, Kornet is averaging just over five points and four rebounds a game, shooting 70 percent from the field, and serving as a strong defensive stalwart. That includes five games where he has hauled in at least six boards, which has proven to be the Knicks' kryptonite: they've lost the rebounding battle on only 17 occasions this season, and they're 4-13 on such occasions.

They Said It

“He does a lot. He’s great defensively, can space the floor. Probably before he got hurt, he was the best defender in the NBA. So that brings a lot.”-Isaiah Hartenstein on OG Anunoby (h/t Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News)

Prediction

Thursday's game simply comes down to the Knicks having a little more to play for than the Celtics. Playoff real estate is one thing but New York needs any quantum of hope it can get when it comes to delaying Boston's seemingly inevitable championship trek. New York has been able to take advantage of manageable opportunities and there might be a little bit of magic packed into Thursday's occasion.

Knicks 104, Celtics 103