The New York Knicks host the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Tipoff is set for 8:00 PM ET at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks lead the series 3-2, but Boston comes in with momentum after a big win in Game 5.
Boston won 127-102 on Wednesday despite missing Jayson Tatum, who is out with an Achilles injury. New York had a poor shooting night and now needs to bounce back to avoid a Game 7 in Boston. The Celtics are 10-2 without Tatum this season.
Knicks Preview – Time to Close It Out at Home
New York is 29-17 at home this season and has won three of the five games in this series. Jalen Brunson had 22 points in Game 5 but fouled out early in the fourth quarter. Josh Hart led the Knicks with 24 points and made five threes.
The Knicks shot just 35.8% from the field in Game 5. OG Anunoby went 1-for-12, and Mikal Bridges went 4-for-14. The team needs better production from both wings to win Game 6 at home.
New York still has a strong defense and plays well in the first quarter, hitting the 1Q moneyline in 18 of their last 24 games. They will look to start strong and avoid letting Boston take control early.
Celtics Preview – Another Big Game Without Tatum
Boston is 2-0 in the playoffs without Jayson Tatum. In Game 5, they had six players score in double figures. Derrick White hit seven threes and scored 34 points, while Jaylen Brown had 26 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds.
Kristaps Porzingis played only 12 minutes in Game 5 due to a viral illness, but Luke Kornet filled in well. Kornet had 10 points, nine rebounds, and seven blocks. Boston’s defense stepped up and held the Knicks under 103 points for the third time in the series.
The Celtics are 35-10 on the road this season. They’ve hit the 1H moneyline in 16 of their last 20 away games and will try to keep that trend going to force Game 7. Boston’s three-point shooting and ball movement will be key again.
Betting Prediction
The Knicks are 2.5-point favorites at home. The total is set at 210.5. Boston has covered twice as a road underdog in this series and looked strong in Game 5. New York is good at home but has struggled with consistency.
Boston’s recent trends show strong first halves and good third-quarter play. With momentum and better team balance, the Celtics have a real shot to win Game 6 outright. The total has gone over in six of the last ten meetings between these teams.
Pick: Celtics +2.5 over New York Knicks
What a game. What a series. This is going to be interesting if the Celtics can get this back to Boston for a game 7.
