The New York Knicks are preparing to take on the Boston Celtics in the home opener of the 2021–22 season. The Knicks, coming off a season where they won 41 games, including 25 at home, will look to take a step forward after the additions of Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker.
Featuring one of the league’s most aggressive and productive defenses, an increase in offensive production could help them shoot up the division and make another postseason appearance.
Boston, on the other hand, partook in the play-in tournament during the 2020-21 campaign, winning 36 games, including 21 at home and 15 away. The Knicks hold a slight advantage in the power index, with a 55.1% chance of victory.
The spread consensus favors the Knicks at -2 with a money line of -139 and +110 for Boston.
How to watch Knicks V Celtics season opener:
- NBA regular season game
- Celtics @ Knicks
- Tuesday, Oct. 19
- Madison Square Garden
- 7:30 p.m. ET
- ESPN
The Knicks are coming off four consecutive preseason wins, with a buzzer-beater against the Washington Wizards, courtesy of Julius Randle. Boston, on the other hand, went 2-2 during preseason play, with a loss in the finale to the Miami Heat.
However, Boston has a talented team featuring Jayson Tatum, Dennis Schroder, Al Horford, Marcus Smart, and Jaylen Brown.
The starting five for New York will likely include Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Evan Fournier, and Kemba Walker.
It will be interesting to see the transition of both Fournier and Walker, who played for Boston last season, make their debuts with the Knicks. Stopping Boston will start with limiting the impact of Brown and Tatum, who are both capable of dominating a game with elite scoring prowess.
The Knicks will look to use their suffocating defense to their advantage and put significant pressure on the Celtics’ playmakers.