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- What: NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs Game 2
- When: May 7, 2025
- Who: New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics
- Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
- Where: TD Garden (Boston, MA)
The New York Knicks will face the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs on Wednesday.
The Knicks stole homecourt advantage with a thrilling 108-105 overtime win in Game 1 despite being 8.5-point underdogs.
The Celtics had previously won all four regular-season matchups. Game 2 will tip off at 7:00 EST on TNT.
In Game 1, the Knicks overcame a 20-point deficit and outscored Boston 25-16 in the fourth quarter. They also excelled from beyond the arc, hitting 17 of 31 three-pointers.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 29 points, and OG Anunoby also made crucial contributions. Anunoby added 29 points along with 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Brunson is averaging 31.1 points and 7.7 assists this postseason, showing his clutch performance.
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Game Preview (Knicks vs. Celtics)
Meanwhile, the Celtics struggled with their three-point shooting, making only 15 of 60 attempts. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 23 points, and both are key players for Boston.
| Spread |  |  |  |
| New York Knicks +10.5 Points | -105 | -110 | -110 |
| Boston Celtics -10.5 Points | -115 | -110 | -110 |
Tatum leads the postseason averages at 29.6 points and 12.2 rebounds per game.
Boston likes to play with its food sometimes rather than put the pedal to the metal and close teams out. I don’t think that’ll be the case in game two. The Celtics need this game, and I expect them to bounce back massively.
Boston shot just 35.1% from the field and 25.0% from three-point range in the opener, missing 45 triples, an NBA postseason record for the most misses!
That’s very unlikely to happen again. We must remember that the Celtics dusted the Knicks in the regular season, winning all four matchups with an average margin of victory of +16.3 points.
Game 2 up next on Wednesday night. pic.twitter.com/R8bTBo5RFe
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 6, 2025
In the first round, teams went 23-12 against the spread (ATS) following a loss — the highest success rate for any opening round in the past two decades.
If this pattern holds true, the Celtics are poised for a commanding victory on Wednesday night.
I’m going back to the well with Boston in game two. I’ll take the Celtics to cover the 10.5 point spread in this one.
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Total Points
The total for game one was set between 212.0 and 213.5, but it ultimately exceeded the total at 213 points (108-105).
| Total Points | | | |
| Over 211 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 211 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
If you managed to shop around for better lines, that’s preferable. Now that the total has dropped to 211 points for game two, I’m leaning towards the over.
As I mentioned, I anticipate a strong bounce-back performance from Boston on Wednesday night. In their regular-season matchups, the Celtics averaged 125 points per game.
fought until the end 💪
last night was the Knicks’ largest playoff comeback victory since at least 1969-70. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/E9KBZg3me0
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 6, 2025
While I’m not sure they’ll hit those numbers in the playoffs due to a slower pace, I think they can score over 115 points.
The Knicks struggled with their defense during the regular season, allowing 111.8 points per 100 possessions (ranking 16th).
If the Celtics can perform slightly better offensively in game two, the total should surpass the set line. I’m taking the over in game 2.
Over 211 points at -110 odds at Bovada is the best bet in this one.
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