The Celtics Game One against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals is underway Monday evening with Boston at full health. The team listed no players on its injury report Sunday, marking the first time this postseason the roster has been completely clear of injury concerns.
Veteran guard Jrue Holiday is expected to return after missing the final three games of the first round series against Orlando due to a strained right hamstring. Holiday was cleared from injury report over the weekend after participating in practice sessions.
Coach Joe Mazzulla stated Saturday that Holiday "was able to work on everything he wanted to work on" during practice.
Guard Jaylen Brown also appears healthy, having been removed from the injury report after dealing with a knee issue in the previous series. Brown said Saturday he was "just trying to trend back in the direction of being 100 percent."
This series marks the first playoff series between the archrivals since 2013 and the first time they have met past the first round since 1984.
Boston dominated the regular season matchup against New York, winning all four games by an average margin of over 16 points. However, the Knicks made offseason trades bringing in center Karl-Anthony Towns and forward Mikal Bridges aimed at improving their ability to compete with top Eastern Conference teams. Regular-season performance doesn't guarantee playoff success, a point Josh Hart noted by saying "the series is 0-0." Preview analysis covered in scouting the Knicks.
A key matchup entering the series involves Jaylen Brown and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, a pairing highlighted as a Jaylen vs. Jalen could be marquee matchup. Defending the high-scoring Brunson will require a collective effort. Insights into how to contain Brunson were explored in a Telling Brunson stat hints at blueprint analysis.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau shared a lighthearted moment ahead of Game 1, directing a joke at NBC Sports Boston analyst Brian Scalabrine.
Early in Game 1, Jayson Tatum surpassed Paul Pierce to claim fifth place on the Celtics' all-time playoff scoring list.
Coach Mazzulla commented on the challenge of defending Jalen Brunson as the series began. "You just can’t do it with one guy, right? It takes a team," Mazzulla said.
