Boston Celtics vs New York Knicks

Like a symphony conductor manipulating lightning, Jalen Brunson is the maestro who masterminds court chaos. With the final buzzer engrained in his DNA, he leads the game and is as serene as unsweetened tea and as frigid as the air conditioning on a bus during the winter.

Josh Hart, on the other hand, has his own story. When a bite is half-eaten and there is still a chew, he is the type of player who never throws it away. He plays for his heart, not his stats. He fights, leaps, and sprints as though each possession were a chance to live forever.

Payton Pritchard, who usually goes unnoticed until he starts pouring triples like grandma generously sweetens tea, was the biggest surprise. Not only was it impressive to score 23 points off the bench, but it was like getting free extra cheese on your favorite pizza. For the Knicks, his unanticipated contribution was as shocking as a center-back's bicycle kick goal in the 95th minute of a Europa League final. Boston's bench depth, which could be their ace in the hole, has suddenly become the talk of the town.

Beyond only basketball, the Celtics and Knicks rivalry is a story that dates back to the days when games used white balls and black footwear. In the regular season, these two legendary teams have faced off 498 times, with Boston having 308 victories to New York's 190. Don't be influenced, though, since in the NBA nowadays, when genuine passion takes over the court, numbers frequently lose meaning.

Even with Boston's indisputable historical edge, recent games have been real basketball contests with results determined in overtime in the final seconds. Extra time was needed in two of the previous five games, and one ended with a one-point margin. The fact that this isn't just a series but a level-playing matchup where every shot has the potential to become legendary says it all. Additionally, the tension only increases during the playoffs.

Jalen Brunson has solidified his reputation as one of the NBA’s elite playoff scorers—but he’s yet to truly erupt against the Celtics in this series. So far, he’s put up 29, 17, and 27 points in the first three games while shooting just 38.1% from the field. However, history suggests a breakout is coming.

Against the Pistons in the first round, Brunson was unstoppable, averaging 31.5 PPG on 43.6% shooting and dropping 30+ in five of six games. But against Boston, he hasn’t hit that mark once. That’s unusual for a player who has averaged 30 PPG in the playoffs since joining the Knicks in 2022-23. In fact, he’s scored 30+ in 16 of his 33 playoff appearances—trailing only Devin Booker (32.1 PPG) in postseason scoring over the last three years.

Brunson’s clutch gene is well-documented—he won the 2024-25 Clutch Player of the Year award for his late-game heroics. Now, with a chance to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, there’s no better time for him to deliver a signature performance.

During the regular season, Brunson scored 30+ in 27 of 74 games, and outside of the final four games, he never went more than three games without a 30-point outing. The Knicks need him to rediscover that form in Game 4, and the numbers suggest he will.