The Celtics were clearly in the catbird seat in the Eastern Conference when they woke up on Tuesday. The Knicks were even at 2-2 in a dogfight against the Hawks; the Pistons were down 3-1 to the Magic; and the Cavaliers were deadlocked with the Raptors at 2-2, while Boston held a commanding 3-1 lead over the 76ers.
But the script flipped on Tuesday night as the Cs collapsed in the fourth quarter and gagged away Game 5 at home to the Sixers, 113-97. They still have control of the series as they’ll now head back to Philadelphia with a 3-2 lead, but they gave up a massive advantage they had over the Knicks, who dominated Atlanta, 126-97 in MSG.
New York and Boston are on a collision course for a round two rematch from last year, and the Celtics are going to need every edge they can get because this Knicks team has proven they match up well and have no fear.
And thanks to the Knicks falling behind 2-1 in their series, the Celtics had a chance to gain a key edge by wrapping up their own series in five games on Tuesday night. They could be resting right now and getting ready for round two, but instead, they’re going back to Philly for another hard-fought game that will add more mileage and wear and tear.
Celtics and Knicks likely to be on equal rest for round two matchup
With the Celtics and Knicks both playing Game 6 on Thursday night, they each have a chance to close out their respective series, meaning they’ll have the exact same amount of rest ahead of an eventual Game 1 in Boston. And that's if they get the win. The Celtics will be coming off their worst quarter of the season, while the Knicks looked like a wagon.
The Celtics should be sitting back with their feet up, rooting on the Hawks and Knicks to beat each other up and go to a seventh game. However, instead, they still have to worry about taking care of their own business, probably putting another 40+ minutes on the backs of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and sacrificing a crucial rest advantage.
If things worked out, Boston could have been waiting at home, fresh as can be, for a tired team to come limping into TD Garden for Game 1, running on fumes from a first-round war. But alas, things did not work out, and now it looks like the Celtics and Knicks will be on a level playing field for what feels like an inevitable round two clash.
Add us as a preferred source on Google