NBA Playoffs 2024/25, 2nd Round, Game 6, Saturday, 17.05.2025, 02:00 PM
Who will win the ESC is a question that is hardly being asked in the United States these days. Rather, a significant portion of the population is wondering who will reach the NBA Finals.
And I might be able to help you with my Knicks Celtics tip. Because even without Tatum, the C’s will not only turn the series around, but will even head straight for the title afterwards.
The series between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics has so far delivered everything you’d expect from an intense playoff duel.
After five games, it’s 3:2 in favor of the Knicks, who are on the verge of knocking the Celtics out of the race. But Game 5 has shown that Boston is not so easily defeated despite major setbacks.
With Jayson Tatum, their best player, suffering a serious hamstring injury and Kristaps Porziņģis still weakened by an illness, Boston’s exit seemed sealed.
The series between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics has so far delivered everything you would expect from an intense playoff duel.
After five games, it’s 3:2 in favor of the Knicks, who are on the verge of knocking the Celtics out of the race. But Game 5 has shown that Boston is not so easily defeated despite major setbacks.
With Jayson Tatum, their best player, suffering a serious Achilles tendon injury and Kristaps Porziņģis still weakened by an illness, Boston’s exit seemed sealed.
Brown skillfully shielded Jalen Brunson, who fell far short of his potential compared to previous games, scoring just 22 points.
That was one of the keys to victory for Boston. After all, Brunson has been the main engine of the Knicks’ offense so far. The fact that Brown not only defended, but also provided the necessary pace with his passes, ultimately made the difference.
BOS played quickly and effectively, created a lot of transition points and once again put up strong numbers from the three-point line – over the course of this series, the Celtics have outscored the Knicks by 90 points from there, a clear indication of their accuracy.
Nevertheless, the Knicks should not be written off. They have proven that they can come back from big deficits, as their late comebacks in previous games have shown.
They also have a 3-2 lead and still have two chances to seal the deal. The home game in New York in Game 6 is hugely important – the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden can give the Knicks another boost.
But the question is whether they can match the defensive intensity and flexibility that Boston showed in Game 5.
If you are looking for exciting bets for the clash between the Knicks and Celtics, you should definitely take a look at the Betano app – there are several interesting markets with lucrative odds.
For my Knicks Celtics forecast, I have three picks firmly in my sights, all of which shine with realistic entry and stable value.
Let’s start with the top scorer market: Jalen Brown is currently in impressive form and has proven several times in recent games that he can outshine even Tatum.
Betano has odds of 1.70 for “Most points in the game – Jalen Brown” – definitely worth considering
We continue with the rebounds: Karl-Anthony Towns (not Brown) dominates the board like hardly anyone else. His “most rebounds in the game” rate is 1.62 – solid if you’re looking for control under the basket.
And finally, a team under: The Knicks could have problems offensively, especially if Boston puts on the pressure early.
NYK under 108.5 points is more conservative at 1.57, but a smart complementary pick in a potentially defense-heavy game.
My tip: Boston Celtics win with a safety handicap of +5.5 points. The visitors have more quality across the board and have fought back perfectly after the setback in Game 4.
The Celtics will take the momentum with them to score points in Game 6 and at least tie the series at 3:3.
If you bet on the Celtics, you get good odds on a team that shows mentality and class despite injury problems – that can make the difference in playoff thrillers
My tip: Victory BOS with HC +5.5
