NBA: NEW YORK KNICKS vs BOSTON CELTICS - 19 December, 8:30 AM (PST)

[Mary C]

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: 

NEW YORK KNICKS: 

PG | Kemba Walker 

SG | Evan Fournier 

SF | RJ Barrett 

PF | Julius Randle 

C | Mitchell Robinson 

 

 

BOSTON CELTICS: 

PG | Marcus Smart 

SG | Jaylen Brown 

SF | Jayson Tatum 

PF | Al Horford 

C | Robert Williams III 

 

The New York Knicks are scheduled to travel to Massachusetts and face off against the Boston Celtics on December 19, 2021. The New York Knicks haven’t been favored by luck lately, as observed in their four consecutive losses up until their last game against the Golden State Warriors. Since they have failed to keep the team healthy for this season, most people anticipated their loss last December 15, 2021. Also, the Golden State Warriors had the upper hand in that match from the start, given the presence of two-time MVP Stephen Curry. The Boston Celtics, on the other hand, were able to power through their last match against the Milwaukee Bucks, securing a 122-113 overtime win. In the upcoming match, will the Knicks be able to finally take a win, or will they go downhill once more, as they did in their previous games, but now in the hands of the Celtics? 

 

Due to NBA’s health and safety protocols, the already struggling New York Knicks struggled even more when RJ Barrett, the second best player in the team, had to be sidelined with Obi Toppin on the team’s match against the Warriors. The team initially started with a healthy lineup, but  they have failed to keep up a good defense, which places them 25th in defensive rating. Julius Randle has evidently been the leader since the start of the season. During their match with the Milwaukee Bucks, he  finished with 8 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, with other players getting nothing more than 3, which unfortunately led to their loss. Despite his skills and stats, Randle’s struggles still hinder him from carrying the whole team anywhere for the season. 

 

Jaylen Brown, one of Celtics’ key players, was able to return to the lineup in time to play against the Milwaukee Bucks last December 14, 2021, and he was able to score 19 points for the Boston Celtics.  The talk of the game, however, was Jayson Tatum because he was able to score a total of 42 points, most of which were made towards the end of the game due to wide-open 3s that the Bucks have failed to cover. Grant Williams, Robert Williams III and Al Horford were also able to contribute, scoring 17, 10, and 10 respectively, eventually leading to the surprising win of the Boston Celtics against the Milwaukee Bucks. 

 

As expected, the matchup predictor of ESPN shows that the Boston Celtics has a 63% chance of winning, while the New York Knicks has 37%. The Knicks were not able to overcome the Bucks, but the Celtics did it. In this match, the Celtics clearly have the advantage since they have a better lineup as opposed to the Knicks, with Randle carrying the team alone. The New York Knicks face the Boston Celtics on December 19, 2021, 10:00 PM PST, at the TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts.