Knicks vs. Celtics Summer League Preview: How, Who to Watch, Odds & More

A summer rivalry between New York and Boston continues but don't lace up your spikes just yet.

In lieu of the Yankees and Red Sox's next meeting, the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics will do battle in Summer League play on Friday night in Las Vegas. It will serve as the penultimate prospect showcase for the two rivals on their 2023 slates.

Both sides picked up their first summer victory in their third game on Wednesday night. The Knicks prevail in overtime against the Orlando Magic, erasing a 14-point second half deficit to prevail 82-80. Rookie and Charlie Ward student Jaylen Martin provided the winning margin on a double that allowed the Knicks to reach the target score in the untimed extra session.

Boston, on the other hand, faced off against one of its other longest-standing rivals, topping the Los Angeles Lakers' prospects 95-90.

What: Boston Celtics (1-2) vs. New York Knicks (1-2) (Summer League)

Where: Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas, NV

When/Watch: Friday, 6:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV

Who's Favored: BOS -2.5

Working both ends of the court 💪 DaQuan Jeffries with the slam after a Dmytro Skapintsev steal! @wcknicks pic.twitter.com/Cpv6JZxuPz
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) February 9, 2023

Keep An Eye On: Dmytro Skapintsev

As the Summer League Knicks, a group almost exclusively playing for roles in Westchester, press forward, standouts are beginning to emerge. Among them is Skapintsev, a Ukrainian-born big man who has probably been the Knicks' most consistent competitor over the three games thus far.

Retained from last year's G League squad, the 7-1 Skapintsev ranked among the top 10 in efficiency among all Vegas visitors after the first two games. That number fell after he shot 2-of-7 on Wednesday against Orlando but Skapintsev is making a case to stick around for another year in the Knicks' system. Last year saw him shoot over 60 percent in 27 Westchester appearances and he was 9-of-15 over the first two against Philadelphia and Brooklyn. Skapintsev has also averaged over six rebounds in just 14 minutes a game over this opening trio.

Every clip of Jordan Walsh I see makes me like him more and more pic.twitter.com/wSfVlRM5cU
— Boston Diehards (@Boston_Diehards) July 14, 2023

Celtic to Watch: Jordan Walsh

Picking the Celtics' lone draft choice feels like a cop-out, but Walsh has a legitimate role to play in the immediate future of Boston basketball. With both Marcus Smart and Grant Williams gone, Walsh's defensive prowess could immediately vault him into the Celtics' rotation.

“He has a special ability laterally and with his wingspan to swallow people up defensively,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said of the Arkansas alum, per Khari Thompson of Boston.com. “He really creates havoc with his arms and with his energy and with his ability to move his feet.”

Walsh, the 38th choice of last month's draft, also showcased his scoring on Wednesday night, leading all participants with 25 points in the win over the Lakers.

Prediction

The Knicks likely have no chance of reprising their role as a Summer League championship finalist, but there's still time to do a few things right before leaving Las Vegas. Wednesday's comeback was a nice boost of momentum for the prospects and perhaps set the stage for a grand finale.

Knicks 84, Celtics 78

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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