The New York Knicks will be at the TD Garden to challenge a divisional foe in the Boston Celtics. Action starts at 7:30 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 4 and will air on CNE, MSG, #0 and C+D.
The Celtics won big over the Trail Blazers 116-93 on Wednesday. Isaiah Thomas led all scorers on the team with 30 points on 11-for-20 shooting. The Knicks, meanwhile, are coming off an ugly 104-85 loss to that same Trail Blazers squad on Tuesday. Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points and recorded 10 rebounds earning his 20th double-double of the season.
Over the last five games, Jae Crowder has been playing at a high level for the Celtics. During that stretch, he has averaged 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.8 steals, and 2.2 three-pointers.
The Celtics defense could make it difficult on New York’s shooters. They rank fourth in the NBA in forcing misses (opponents’ effective field goal percentage of 48.0%), while the New York offense is 28th with a mark of 48.0%.
The Celtics have won two out of three against the Knicks this season, including a 97-89 win the last time these two teams met. Robin Lopez had a double-double in the loss with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
The Celtics enter the game with records of 37-25 Straight Up (SU) and 34-26-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 6-6 both SU and ATS against their division at home. Below average play has been the norm lately for the Celtics. In the last 10 games, Boston has only averaged 96.4 points per game compared to the 106.2 they’ve averaged on the season. Boston is one of the most disciplined teams in the league with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.81. Boston’s defense can be considered one of the best in the league. The Celtics allow a .437 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the league. Boston is one of the league’s top scoring teams off turnovers with an average of 18.7 points per game.
On the other side, New York has a SU record of 25-37 and an ATS record of 32-29-1. New York has records of 7-5 SU and 6-6 ATS against the Atlantic. Offensively, the Knicks have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 98.8 points per game by averaging 114.3 during that stretch. New York is the top foul-shooting team in the league, making .809 of their shots from the line. New York may be taking trips to the free throw line early and often with the Celtics averaging 22.9 fouls per game, one of the highest marks in the NBA.
In their previous meeting this season, Boston beat New York, bringing its SU record to 6-4 over the Knicks in the last 10 games. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – Bos
Notes
“Boston is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games “.
“Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 7 of Boston’s last 10 games “.
“Boston is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games at home”.
“Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“Boston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New York”.
“Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing New York”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Boston’s last 20 games when playing New York”.
“Boston is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games when playing at home against New York”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Boston’s last 14 games when playing at home against New York”.
New York has allowed an average of 101.7 points per game this season. Boston averages 106.2 points per game, placing the team fourth in scoring.
New York ranks 23rd in points allowed per road game (101.9 PPG), while Boston ranks sixth in points per home game with 106.3.
In its last game, Boston won by a 23-point margin. New York is 2-8 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Boston has a 9-3 record in blowouts.
When giving up fewer than 100 points, New York has a 16-13 record. When Boston scores fewer than 100, they are a poor 5-11.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Knicks are just 9-24 this season. Boston is a winning 32-14 when registering triple digits.
The Knicks have an offensive rating of 102.9 (ranked 19th), while the Celtics rank third for their defensive rating of 100.4.
Boston has an average field goal percentage of 44.0%. New York is a subpar 8-23 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, the Boston Celtics attempt 26.0 three point field goals per game and the New York Knicks attempt 21.0 per game. In games where they attempt at least 25 threes, Boston is 20-21, while New York has a losing record of 4-10.
The Boston Celtics are among the best in the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.81 (ranked third). Ranking 14th, the New York Knicks have an A/TO of 1.59.
Boston ranks among the best in the league in offensive rebounding at fourth, while New York ranks a solid 15th in defensive rebounds.
The Celtics record .0 steals per game on average (ranked first). The Knicks are 25-37 when allowing at least steals.
