The Boston Celtics can clinch the No. 2 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs when they visit the New York Knicks on Thursday night.
Boston (54-25) will secure the No. 2 seed with one more victory or any New York (51-28) loss. The Knicks can finish as high as second but are also battling with Cleveland (50-29) to see who will finish as the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds.
Thursday’s game will also mark the first time Jayson Tatum has played in New York since he ruptured his Achilles tendon in a road playoff game against the Knicks last season.
“Yeah, I’ve thought about it,” Tatum said after he scored 23 points in a win over Charlotte on Tuesday night. “I’m not thrilled to go back and play there. Last time I played there, obviously, it was a traumatic experience for me.”
Tatum is averaging 21.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 15 games this season since he returned from his Achilles injury. Boston has a 13-2 record in those 15 contests.
The Celtics are scheduled to face New Orleans at home on Friday. Tatum hasn’t suited up for a back-to-back this season, but following Tuesday’s win, Tatum confirmed that he planned to play Thursday against New York.
“Obviously, I knew at some point I would have to get over that hurdle and play there (Madison Square Garden) again,” he said. “I decided to come back and play, so I’m not necessarily skipping certain games. I can’t play back-to-backs right now, but I decided to come back and play, so it’s just another game on the schedule.”
New York is coming off Monday’s 108-105 victory at Atlanta, which stretched the team’s winning streak to three games. The Knicks have won five in a row at home.
Jalen Brunson is New York’s leading scorer (26 ppg). Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. Brunson tossed in 30 points against Atlanta on Monday, when Towns had 21 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
“It’s huge to know a guy like Jalen can shoot and score the way he does,” New York coach Mike Brown said following Monday’s game. “On top of that, he’s crafty. He’s crafty with the ball, crafty without the ball. Having KAT (Towns) as a passer (makes it tougher on the opponent). On top of that, KAT’s a great shooter. So, you put those two guys in space in a two-man game, and teams gotta make decisions. Both those guys came through.”
The Celtics have won four in a row and seven of their last eight.
“Just ramping up at the right time,” Tatum said. “Knowing that post-All-Star break is pivotal for teams really trying to compete for a championship. And you want to be physically feeling your best as a unit, playing well together, clicking on all cylinders. And this year is no different. We’ve been playing extremely well going into the playoffs up to this point, and knowing that we’ve got a few games left to feel really good about ourselves and then find out who we’re going to play.”
