A win over the Boston Celtics a month in the past was one of many early highlights of a season-saving surge for the New York Knicks.
On Monday evening, the Celtics go to the Knicks in a rematch between longtime rivals because the NBA’s high crew embarks upon one other doubtlessly defining stretch. The Knicks will look to proceed their climb into the higher echelon of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Both groups had been off Sunday after incomes victories Saturday evening. The Knicks by no means trailed in a 128-106 victory over the visiting New Orleans Pelicans, whereas the Celtics edged the host Philadelphia 76ers 110-107 in a wild back-and-forth sport.
The win was the fifth straight for the Knicks, who’ve gone 10-4 since Jan. 24 to maneuver into sixth place and the final assured playoff spot within the Eastern Conference.
New York entered Sunday 2 1/2 video games forward of the seventh-place Miami Heat in addition to a half-game behind the fifth-place Brooklyn Nets and a pair of 1/2 video games again of the fourth-place Cleveland Cavaliers. The high 4 groups can have home-court benefit within the first spherical of the playoffs.
The Knicks’ current 10-4 run consists of wins over 4 of the 5 groups forward of them within the East — together with the Celtics, whom New York edged 120-117 on the highway in time beyond regulation on Jan. 26.
Monday’s sport marks the start of a four-game stretch this week through which the Knicks will face the Celtics twice — the 2 groups are slated to play once more at Boston subsequent Sunday — in addition to the Nets and Heat.
“We knew we had this challenge coming off the break,” mentioned energy ahead Julius Randle, who scored 74 factors within the Knicks’ first two video games following the All-Star break. “We knew that before we went to break. So I think mentally we prepared for it.”
The defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics have gotten an extra style of postseason-like depth whereas going 9-2 since their loss to the Knicks. The run has helped them to take care of their slim margin within the race for the No. 1 seed.
Boston entered Sunday one sport forward of the second-place Milwaukee Bucks and 4 video games forward of the third-place 76ers.
After squandering a 10-point halftime lead and outlasting the Indiana Pacers 142-138 in time beyond regulation on Thursday evening, the Celtics fell behind 67-52 early within the third quarter Saturday in opposition to the 76ers earlier than mounting a 45-20 run to take a 97-87 lead halfway by way of the fourth.
The 76ers then stormed again earlier than the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum drained the game-winning 26-footer with 1.3 seconds left. Philadelphia celebrity Joel Embiid adopted by hitting a doubtlessly game-tying 75-footer, however the ball didn’t depart his hand earlier than the buzzer.
“Our guys have been there,” mentioned first-year Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, who was an assistant with Boston final season. “They’ve been through it all.”
