Boston Celtics versus New York Knicks: NBA Play-off's Preview
The stage is set for thousands of spectators to watch their superstars live in action. The NBA play-offs have started and now the two giants of basketball are preparing to collide at TD Garden, in Boston. The New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics will match
up on 17 April to outshine each other.
The Knicks have qualified into the play-offs from the Eastern Conference as the number sixth seed, whereas the Boston Celtics are heading into the next big round as the third best side from the same Conference. The Chicago Bulls snatched the top position
and the Miami Heat remained at number two on the Eastern Conference rankings.
The best-of-seven first round series will not be easy for both the teams as every side is determined to bring the best possible outcome in their play-offs’ battle. This is the first occasion when these teams will compete against each other in 20 years. Previously
these two met in 1990, as the old rivalry will be enthralling to watch this time around.
There are number of different aspects both the teams will be focusing on in the play-offs. The Knicks and the Celtics both play offensively in the crucial times. The Boston will be relying on his superstar Paul Pierce and the Knicks have the services of
his extra athletic Carmelo Anthony.
The Knicks’ offense is considered to be the second best in the NBA with an average of 107 points per game and in addition the Knicks’ Tony Douglas and Chauncey Billups will be hard to pass through as both together are real threat for any opposition.
The Knicks Amar’e Stoudemire is one man whose presence at the court will be decisive for the New York. He is averaging 25.3 points per game and playing his best game at the moment. Stoudemire seemed pretty confident when he told the media about his teams’
preparation, prior to entering into this huge combat with the mighty Celtics.
Stoudemire said, “Any time you're involved in the playoffs, you get a chance to really assess the team, We feel like we have the right tools right now to make something special happen.”
However, the Celtics have also some very talented players in their roster. Paul Pierce is the single-most contributor for the Celtics. He averaged 18.9 points per game during the regular season. Ray Allen remained the second best for the Celtics as he averaged
16.9 points per game. The Celtics’ Kevin Garnett outshined many in the rebounding field as he averaged 8.9 rebounds per game.
The Celtics’ centre, Shaquille O'Neal, has not recovered from his calf injury and will not be playing this important game. O’Neal has missed 27 games since his injury. Earlier on 13 April both the Knicks and the Celtics have also met and tested their potential
on the court in the last game of their regular season. The Boston Celtics closed the season with a win when they defeated the Knicks with 112-102 at the same venue.
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