The Boston Celtics are looking to bounce back after a shocking Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night. The Knicks stunned Boston with a comeback victory in the series opener, erasing a 20-point deficit to win 108-105 in overtime.
NBA oddsmakers have the Celtics as heavy 10.5-point favorites at home as they try to even the series.
The game tips off at 7 p.m. ET from TD Garden in Boston and will be broadcast on TNT and truTV.
Fans can catch a free live stream of the action on Jazz Sports.
The Knicks enter Game 2 fully healthy, while Boston has a couple of concerns. Center Kristaps Porzingis is listed as probable with an illness that forced him out of the second half in Game 1. Forward Sam Hauser is doubtful with an ankle injury.
“This team is special,” said Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, who put up 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the opener. “Obviously [the Celtics are] the defending champions and they’re gonna come back hungrier, and we need to play the next game at a higher level.”
Towns believes the Knicks have been making steady progress against Boston.
“I feel like we played better in that [fourth] game. We adjusted from the first three times we played them, obviously still not getting it done, but definitely played better and competed better than the first three games.”
The Celtics clearly missed Porzingis in the second half of Game 1 when their lead evaporated.
“KP is big for us,” Boston’s Jrue Holiday explained. “Obviously so versatile, (a) person who can either play in the paint or stretch the floor. Protects the rim, protects the paint, blocks shots and we definitely miss him, but we’ve always had this next-man-up mentality.”
Boston’s shooting was ice cold in the series opener. They hit just 15 of their 60 attempts from beyond the arc—a dismal 25% success rate.
Those 45 missed three-pointers set an unwanted NBA playoff record.
The Knicks outscored the Celtics 25-16 in the fourth quarter to force overtime, where they completed their comeback.
This marks the first time Boston has trailed in a playoff series since the 2023 Eastern Conference finals.
Despite the Game 1 setback, ESPN’s Basketball Power Index still gives the Celtics a 57.7% chance of winning Game 2. The Knicks have struggled historically against Boston, going just 2-8 in their last 10 meetings, while the Celtics have been dominant at home with a 7-1 record in their past eight games at TD Garden.
Can the defending champs even the series, or will the Knicks take a commanding 2-0 lead back to New York?
