Celtics and Knicks Face Off for Final Regular Season Showdown

New York, N.Y. — The Boston Celtics will seek to complete a season sweep of the New York Knicks when they meet Tuesday, April 8, at Madison Square Garden. The matchup is critical as both teams gear up for the postseason, with the Celtics (58-20) locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and the Knicks (50-28) holding onto the No. 3 seed.

This will be the fourth encounter of the season between these NBA rivals, with Boston having won the previous three games, averaging a victory margin of 21 points. The most recent win came on February 23 when the Celtics dominated the Knicks, winning 131-104.

The Celtics have displayed exceptional form leading into the postseason, going 9-1 in their last ten games, including a convincing 124-90 victory against the Washington Wizards on Sunday. In that game, Payton Pritchard contributed significantly off the bench with 20 points and 7 assists. While the Celtics were without star player Jayson Tatum (ankle sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness), they still excelled, hitting 24 of 52 shots from beyond the arc and grabbing a season-high 62 rebounds.

Meanwhile, the Knicks are striving to maintain their momentum after a 112-98 triumph over the Phoenix Suns. New York is looking to extend its three-game home winning streak. They currently possess a sturdy home record of 27-12 this season, but they must prevent a four-game sweep by the Celtics.

The Celtics enter this game as 3.5-point favorites. In addition to team stats, individual performance statistics stand out; Knicks forward OG Anunoby has averaged 27.6 points over the last ten games, while Karl-Anthony Towns contributes 24.3 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.

Head-to-head, the Celtics boast a better overall season shooting percentage of 46.3% compared to the Knicks’ 48.8%. With playoff positioning so close, every point matters, and both teams will be keen to make a statement in their final regular-season meeting.

As for injury updates, the Knicks will be without Ariel Hukporti due to a knee injury, while the Celtics are still missing Tatum and Porzingis as they recover from their ailments.

The game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on TNT, with tickets available through secondary market sites. As postseason action approaches, this game promises to be a vital clash that could impact both teams’ confidence heading into the playoffs.