The New York Knicks will take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs on Saturday. The 76ers beat the Miami Heat to secure the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, beating them 105-104 on April 17. With the Heat set to take on the Chicago Bulls, the winner will be challenged with taking on the Boston Celtics, who finished 64-18 in the regular season.
Beating the Celtics won’t be an easy task for any team in the NBA after they secured the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference by 14 games over the No. 2 seed Knicks. Paul Reed, the backup center for the 76ers, said on “Run It Back” on FanDuel TV that while they aren’t ducking smoke, they wanted the Knicks matchup. Paul then goes on to say they’re the “easier” team.
“I feel like we ain’t avoiding any challenges, but yeah, we preferred the Knicks matchup. Of course, that’s the simpler team, I suppose. However, it’s going to be enjoyable. We match up pretty well with them. They have a great guard, we have a great guard. We also have Joel, you know, MVP.
“Like you mentioned earlier, he’s one of the most unstoppable guys in the league right now, so they gonna have to send triple teams. He’s gonna get everybody else involved, I’m sure of it.”
The Celtics Are Historically Good
What the Boston Celtics did this season can’t be overlooked. They outscored teams by an average of 11.34 points per game, ranking fifth in NBA history, according to Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston.
It didn’t just stop there for the dominant Celtics.
The 14-game margin between No. 1 and No. 2 in the Eastern Conference was the largest since 1976, the 1.22 points per possession were the best in NBA history, and their 122.2 offensive rating was the best in league history, too.
With the injuries the New York Knicks dealt with, finishing as the No. 2 seed was impressive, but the Celtics were historically good.
Jalen Brunson Ready For the Playoffs
The New York Knicks, behind Jalen Brunson, will have a chance to do something special during the playoffs.
Brunson, who had a career year averaging 28.7 points per game, released a message on Players Tribune on April 18, writing how special Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks play, will be.
“Playoffs in the Garden? It’s going to be surreal. We know you guys are going to be cheering at another level. But the most important thing we have to do is just literally focus on taking it one day at a time. And that’s a message we’re all trying to convey to each other, from the top down — coaches to the players, to everyone. We want to make sure that that’s our whole team’s mindset. We can’t deviate from the path. We all have to be on the same team, we all have to have the same mindset to continue to move forward together.
“To the fans: You make a difference for us. I just want to make that abundantly clear. Without you, the Knicks aren’t the Knicks. The unconditional love and support has been phenomenal. It’s an honor to play for New York and play in front of this organization, the city and the fan base. I do not take it for granted one bit.”
Brunson said that the Knicks are not giving up and are bringing that culture to the playoffs.
“And we're not giving up. We're bringing that culture, the determination we know we possess, that strong desire to win, to the playoffs. We're doing it in our own way.”
