Knicks at Celtics: How & Who To Watch as NY Seeks 9th Win in a Row

The New York Knicks' latest attempt at extending their winning streak comes against a familiar ... and likely furious ... foe in the Boston Celtics on Sunday night.

Many have pondered if the New York Knicks would be able to hang in, if not outright win, a series against the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics. 

Those questioning won't have to wait until the postseason for an answer, as the Knicks have an opportunity to take down the Celtics on Sunday night at TD Garden. Having taken two of the first three meetings from Boston this season, the Knicks are looking for their first outright win in a full, four-game set against the Celtics since 2012-13.

The Celtics' seemingly season-long reign over the Eastern Conference has been interrupted by New York City: the Knicks led for nearly the entirety of a 109-94 victory on Monday night (New York's sixth consecutive victory) before the Brooklyn Nets came back from a 28-point deficit to win in Boston two days ago. The brief skid has allowed the Milwaukee Bucks into first place and the Celtics linger just a half-game behind as Sunday action gets underway.

What: New York Knicks (38-27) @ Boston Celtics (45-19) 

Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA

When/Watch: Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/WatchESPN 

Who's Favored: BOS -6.5

This game winner by Julius Randle gave us the rare “DOUBLE BANG” call from the 🐐 Mike Breen. #Knicks pic.twitter.com/RMxMFesiLX

— Jake Asman (@JakeAsman) March 4, 2023

Keep An Eye On: Julius Randle

After Randle's heroics on Friday in Miami, New York ... and perhaps the rest of the NBA as a whole ... is no doubt eager to see what he can do next, especially in a big game against one of the Eastern Conference's most prominent contenders. 

Perhaps the scariest part of what the Knicks' competition faces moving forward is not the fact that Randle is posting the best numbers of his career, but that the face of the Knicks' most recent run of success (the fourth-seed effort from the 2020-21 season) believes the Knicks haven't reached the level attained by that group, the last Knicks team to post a nine-game winning streak in a single season.

"I think we’re a better team, more talented team," Randle told Zach Braziller of the New York Post. "But we’ve got to take everything step by step. We’re not there yet."

Only adding to the potential of another Randle explosion on Sunday is the fact that the Knicks will be missing his fellow headliner Jalen Brunson, who was a late scratch due to foot soreness. 

Prediction

The Knicks' winning streak has to end at some point and losing Brunson for all 48 minutes is a potential harbinger of doom to some otherwise immaculate hardwood vibes rolling through Manhattan. Those who trash the potential defeat, however, should be sure to sure the same amount of relative indifference to Boston's hypothetical victory that was shown to the Knicks' triumph earned without Jaylen Brown on the other side. That, perhaps, is another conversation for another day, but that's life reaping in the deservedly not-so-sterling reputation of New York basketball history, for you.

Celtics 117, Knicks 109

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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