Knicks vs. Celtics: How, Who to Watch in Crucial Rivalry Chapter

The New York Knicks have a major opportunity to make a statement in prime time when the Boston Celtics visit Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.

Live from New York, it's ... a chance to make a major statement to the rest of the NBA.

The New York Knicks have accomplished plenty in this eventful season but a win over the NBA-leading Boston Celtics has proven elusive. Such a rivalry renews in Manhattan on Saturday night when Boston comes to Madison Square Garden for the first time since opening night back on Oct. 25. Three meetings have been staged between the two this season ... but none before the Knicks made a flurry of moves staged to compete with the NBA's finest.

One of the arrivals, OG Anunoby, won't be able to partake but the Knicks will be relatively close to full strength after welcoming back Bojan Bogdanovic, Donte DiVincenzo, and Isaiah Hartenstein back to the lineup on Thursday. The return from All-Star action saw the Knicks take down the Philadelphia 76ers 110-96 to sever a four-game losing streak that took them into the hiatus. Boston likewise prevailed in its own resumption, capturing its seventh win in a row with a 129-112 triumph in Chicago.

Boston has a chance for its first sweep of the Knicks since the 2019-20 season after dropping three of four last year. The rivals have one more meeting scheduled for April 11 in Beantown toward the end of the regular season.

What: Boston Celtics (44-12) @ New York Knicks (34-22)

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

When/Watch: Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Who's Favored: BOS -6.5

Keep An Eye On: Bojan Bogdanovic

The Knicks' moves at the trade deadline (and before, if one counts the Anunoby deal) placed asterisks next to their first three meetings with Boston, including the third get-together brought about by the championship stage of the In-Season Tournament. Competing with the Celtics is exactly why they went out and brought in Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. Once fully healthy, they'll boast one of the deepest 11-man sets in the Association, but it's time to tread water until everyone's back. Bogdanovic did that and then some on Thursday night, posting a perfect return by becoming just the sixth New Yorker to have a flawless night from three-point range (min. 6 attempts). 

Eric Canha, USA TODAY SPORTS

Celtic to Watch: Derrick White

White is primarily known for his defense but made a scoring splash upon his return to action on Thursday, posting a team-best 28 points in the win over Chicago. The veteran might get lost in the expansive list of Boston All-Stars and big-budget contracts but, like Anunoby in New York, his defense in a league that shows no hesitation toward valuing scores in the high hundreds could prove to be an x-factor come June. Perhaps most dangerously, White has an excuse to take things personally in prime time, as some viewed him as one of the most glaring All-Star Game snubs.

They Said It

"They have a team that has two All-Stars, Jrue (Holiday) has been an All-Star, Derrick (White) was on the cusp, (Kristaps Porzingis) has been an All-Star. We know that. But at the end of the day, I’m going to take our roster and our team over anybody in the league. That’s the mentality you have to have. I think once we get back healthy and full swing, then everyone gets accustomed to playing with each other, I think we can beat any team. But that’s just the mentality we have. We have guys that can score, guys that can rebound, that can defend, that do the dirty work, guys that can hustle."-Josh Hart on how the Knicks compare to the Celtics (h/t Steve Popper, Newsday)

Should the Heat-Celtics Series Grant the Knicks Peace?

Prediction

The Knicks got the hard part out of the way on Thursday, as ending their four-game losing streak was the first thing on their to-do list. Making a(nother) major statement is perhaps next in line, but it's hard to do that when the production of a three-time All-Star and an acquisition from abroad is missing. The Knicks have proven capable of surviving large odds, but it feels like Saturday's best-case scenario is a throat-clearing gesture, one that announces that they're fully capable of competing with the NBA's finest in a shorthanded state and puts a few dents in Boston's supposedly flawless armor.

Celtics 116, Knicks 112