Final: Knicks 118, Celtics 109 - Reserves finish strong after regulars sleep walk early

BOSTON CELTICS vs NEW YORK KNICKS

7:30 p.m. - TNT 

Line: Boston -3.5

INJURIES

Boston: Oshae Brissett (OUT, illness)

New York: Julius Randle (OUT, shoulder)

LAST TIME

Celtics 116, Knicks 102 - February 24

Jaylen Brown and Jalen Brunson went back and forth in the first quarter, but Boston ended it with a four-point lead. Brown continued to hit in the second quarter and he went into halftime with 20, but the quarter ended even thanks to six Knicks offensive rebounds and four 3-pointers. The Celtics went 9-13 from 3 in the third quarter to push their lead as high as 20, but a Knicks run cut it to nine early in the fourth. Boston answered that and pushed the lead back up to 20 midway through the quarter to hold on for their eighth straight win. 

THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR

1. Starter minutes: I’m betting all these guys are available because it’s a TNT game. I don’t know how many minutes they’ll play, though. It tells me that tomorrow’s game feature few of them though. I’m curious to see how many minutes they’ll play tonight. 

2. Zero adjustments: With the Knicks being a potential playoff opponent, I’m betting we see a stripped-down version of the Celtics tonight. If you find yourself wondering “hey Joe, where are the adjustments?” just know that there's no reason to show any. There's no reason to tip their hand on how they’ll guard Jalen Brunson. 

Follow along with my thoughts as the game goes on. They’ll show up below and in the comments section, so hop in and share your opinion as well.