Boston's defense is readying for the challenge posed by New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson as the teams prepare to meet in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Celtics expect to utilize multiple defenders against Brunson, including their veteran backcourt.
The All-Defense tandem of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday is anticipated to play a significant role in guarding Brunson. Both players earned recognition for their defensive efforts during the regular season.
Brunson averaged over 31 points in the Knicks' first-round playoff win. White acknowledged the difficulty of facing Brunson, describing him as a "Big-time player" who makes impact plays for New York.
"Seems to make the big plays for them," White said of Brunson. "He’s had an unbelievable year, and obviously these playoffs, he’s taken it to another level."
The Celtics had mixed results defending Brunson during the regular season. In one matchup in February, the defense featuring White and Holiday limited Brunson's opportunities at the free throw line, resulting in no free throw attempts for the guard.
This contrasted with an earlier February game where Brunson attempted 13 free throws against Boston. The Celtics aim to make scoring difficult for Brunson without fouling.
Jaylen Brown is also expected to spend time defending Brunson. Brown has a history of guarding top offensive players, including previous matchups against James Harden and Luka Doncic.
Brown defended Brunson for over 12 minutes during the regular season, second only to Zach LaVine in total matchup time for Brown, according to NBA tracking.
Boston will assess the health of its guards heading into the series. Holiday missed the final three games of the Celtics' first-round series due to a hamstring injury.
The Celtics defense plans to employ various schemes to keep the ball out of Brunson's hands and force other players to score. White said the goal is to make things difficult for Brunson for the entire game.
"Try to make it as difficult as we can for 48 minutes,” White said.
