Celtics Predicted to Lap Knicks in Finals Race

The New York Knicks could succumb to an old rival in reaching the final round of the playoffs.

Dec 2, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) during the second half at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks spent more of the first third of the 2025-26 season warding off the Boston Celtics than they may have bargained for, and that surprising race isn't expected to slow any time soon.

The recent champions, generally expected to take a major step back in chugging along without their star option in Jayson Tatum, have been on the Knicks' heels for months. They're the two best teams out east by most advanced statistics, and though New York's got an NBA Cup freshly stashed in its trophy case, the depleted Celtics' 7.0 net rating leads the conference entering 2026.

The Knicks look good between their decorated starting lineup and the freshly-deepened rotation supporting the stars, but they haven't answered enough defensive questions to assure the doubters that they'll just waltz their way to the NBA Finals. The Celtics, against all prior odds, earned that distinction in Bleacher Report's 10 bold predictions to kick off the new year

"They've fought their way to that position despite three of their top four scorers (Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons) all having worse three-point percentages than their career marks," Andy Bailey wrote. "At some point, any of them could get on a heater. And combining that with Jaylen Brown's superstar turn (he's averaging 29.5 points and 5.0 assists) will give Boston a puncher's chance against any Eastern Conference team in a playoff series."

Nov 18, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Boston Celtics injured forward Jayson Tatum (0) watches from the bench during the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

"Having Tatum on the court will give shooters like Simons, White and Pritchard precious extra time on catch-and-shoot opportunities. He'll juice their rebounding. He'll take pressure off of Brown. In short, Boston could be adding a perennial All-NBA forward to a team that's already on pace for 50-plus wins. And that will be enough to make a return trip to the NBA Finals."

Revenge on New York

Such a future would be pretty hard to New Yorkers to accept, especially after it was these Knicks who eliminated the Celtics last spring.

The Knicks went all-in on ensuring that they'd surpass the Eastern Conference Finals that they made in that playoff run by signing a brand new head coach to go along with more roster depth, but a Celtics comeback story would spoil what's looked like the most promising Knicks season in decades.

Should Tatum complete a return to the lineup under a year after tearing his Achilles tendon in that pivotal playoff series, he'd slot in to replace inferior forwards on a squad with some of the most unbelievable momentum in the league. The Knicks, for their part, have to remain on high-alert for their classic rivals in forging ahead to 2026 hoops.

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