4 things to watch in Knicks - Celtics Eastern Conference semifinals matchup during 2025 NBA playoffs

The Knicks are fresh off a 4-2 first round win against the Detroit Pistons and are gearing up for an Eastern Conference semifinals duel with the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics starting Monday night.

Overwhelming favorites in the series, the Celtics present a host of challenges for the Knicks, including outstanding three-point shooting and elite defense. Here are four aspects of the series to focus on...

Three-point shooting looms large

It’s almost a given that the Knicks are going to lose the three-point battle. New York is 15th in three-point attempt rate among the 16 playoff teams and was 28th in the category during the regular season. Boston’s offense revolves around the three-point line. The Celtics were first in three-point attempt rate, with more than half of their field goal attempts coming from beyond the arc.

There are several ways the Celtics can generate threes. Center Kristaps Porzingis has rained from three as a floor spacer. Jayson Tatum can wreak havoc as a shooter off the dribble, and the team has a plethora of deep ball threats like Derrick White and Payton Pritchard.

For the Knicks, the focus will have to be getting out in transition to create clean outside looks and playing faster in the half-court. That can help get Karl-Anthony Towns going from deep. Also, having a high volume shooter like Miles McBride on the floor more often could be an adjustment head coach Tom Thibodeau can go to. The three-point gap can exist, but it can’t be too severe, or the series will end quickly.

Defense of the stars

Knicks offensive hubs Jalen Brunson and Towns will carry a heavy responsibility on offense. In the first round, Brunson averaged 31.5 points and 8.2 assists while Towns was a near 20-10 performer. The defensive end will be important as well. Both stars are weak points in the Knicks defense that Boston can attack. Look for Tatum and Jaylen Brown to work to get Brunson and Towns switched onto them.

The Knicks are going to try to avoid switching, but that could open up good looks for Boston’s other players. This was always going to be a concern when the Knicks acquired Towns in the offseason. Having two defensive liabilities on the court for extended portions of the game will be a problem the Knicks have to solve.

Creating extra shot opportunities

One way for the Knicks to attack the Celtics will be the possession game. New York needs to control the boards and minimize turnovers to have a chance. The last of the four regular season matchups was the most competitive and offered a blueprint of how the Knicks can compete with Boston.

New York was able to win the possession battle. The Knicks had 17 offensive rebounds and four fewer turnovers than the Celtics. It led the Knicks to attempt 14 more shots than Boston. It was the only game that center Mitchell Robinson played in.

The Knicks rebound better with Robinson on the floor. In the Pistons series, the Knicks had an offensive rebound rate of 38.3 percent in Robinson’s 99 minutes, according to NBA Stats. The club’s offensive rebound rate plunged to 24.9 percent when he was off the floor. Could Robinson see an increase in playing time? It’s a legitimate possibility. After playing just 47 minutes with Towns in the regular season, the two shared the floor for 40 minutes in the opening round.

Wings need to deliver

Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby carry heavy responsibility on both ends of the floor. Both are expected to contribute on offense while guarding the opposition’s top scoring options. In the first round, Anunoby and Bridges saw time guarding Pistons All-Star Cade Cunningham. Now, expect both to hawk Boston’s star wings Tatum and Brown. Both are tough matchups, and New York’s defenders will have to navigate several screens while having to keep Tatum and Brown in check.

With so much attention commanded by Brunson and Towns on offense, there will be opportunities to attack for Bridges and Anunoby. In the season series against Boston, Anunoby (9.0 points) and Bridges (13.7 points) were both quiet. That can’t happen in the second round.

Both players are capable cutters off the ball and are adequate corner three-point shooters. New York traded five first-round picks to the Nets for Bridges and signed Anunoby to a five-year, $212.5 million contract for these moments. We’ll see if they are up to the challenge.