New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics Preview: How, Who to Watch in 2023-24 Tip-Off

The Boston Celtics visit the New York Knicks in tonight's season opener.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 25, 2023

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks are back in action tonight when they host the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden.

Both teams suffered postseason defeats at the hands of the Miami Heat this spring and hope to redeem themselves in the season ahead. The Knicks, hoping to build momentum off their success last season, have almost kept the team together completely. The biggest addition New York made this offseason was signing Donte DiVincenzo.

Meanwhile, the Celtics have made moves this offseason, trading for former Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis and All-Star Jrue Holiday in separate trades.

Here's a look at what you need to know ahead of tonight's game ...

What: Boston Celtics (0-0) @ New York Knicks (0-0)

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

When/Watch: Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Who's Favored: BOS -3.5

Mitchell Robinson (23) will reprise his role as the Knicks' starting center / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Keep An Eye On: Mitchell Robinson

Robinson had a very strong showing in the preseason and he hopes to continue that momentum now that the games matter. Robinson is primarily a rim protector, so it will be interesting to see how he defends his former teammate Kristaps Porzingis, who oftentimes finds himself on the perimeter.

Celtic to Watch: Kristaps Porzingis

Porzingis is making his Celtics debut and he has the potential to be the offseason's biggest acquisition if he can get Boston to the next level. He could be the ideal big man Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have needed over the past few years

They Said It

"I'm going to sound like a broken record every time I step in here...that's literally our only focus - get better every single day."-Jalen Brunson (h/t SNY)

Prediction

The Knicks and Celtics both want to get started on the right foot, making this one a tight contest. However, the Celtics match up better against the Knicks and pull out a narrow win.

Celtics 110, Knicks 105

Published Oct 25, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.