Knicks vs Celtics Prediction 5/16/25 NBA Picks Today

The Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks duke it out in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Madison Square Garden on Friday night. Here’s a Knicks vs Celtics Prediction. This article will include a Knicks vs Celtics Pick.

The Boston Celtics still have their backs against the wall, but they were able to stave off elimination with a dominant 127-102 win in Game 5 on Wednesday. Derrick White caught fire at the start of the game and drained seven 3-pointers to lead the team with 34 points. Jaylen Brown added 26 points with eight rebounds and 12 assists, Payton Pritchard scored 17 points off the bench, while Luke Kornet chipped in with 10 points, nine rebounds, and seven blocks.

As a team, the Celtics shot 52 percent from the field and 22 of 49 from the 3-point line as they battled with the Knicks in a tightly contested first half. Before they absolutely dominated the second half by 68-43 to win easily and extend the series. Jrue Holiday has yet to make a mark in this matchup as he scored 14 points while battling foul trouble, and you could say the same about Kristaps Porzingis who scored just one points on zero of three shooting.

Meanwhile, the New York Knicks will be looking forward to a second chance to close out the Celtics after getting blown out in Game 5 on Wednesday. Josh Hart led the team with 24 points, Jalen Brunson added 22 points with six assists before fouling out of the game, while Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with 19 points and eight rebounds.

As a team, the Knicks shot just 35 percent from the field and 12 of 30 from the 3-point line as they worked hard in the early going to tie the scores going into halftime. Only to go ice-cold in the second half to get blown out on the road in the end. Mikal Bridges had a rough game as he shot just four of 14 from the field for his nine points. Meanwhile, OG Anunoby had a night to forget as he finished with just six points on one of 12 shooting from the field.

Why the New York Knicks will win

• The Knicks have won each of their last 12 games as favorites against Atlantic Division opponents.
• The Celtics have lost four of their five previous Eastern Conference Semifinals games at Madison Square Garden.
• The Celtics have failed to cover the spread in each of their last seven road games against Eastern Conference opponents following a win.
• The Knicks have covered the spread in each of their last four playoff games against Atlantic Division opponents following a loss.

Why the Boston Celtics will win

• The Celtics have won each of their last seven games at Madison Square Garden following a home win.
• The Knicks have lost three of their last four playoff games as home favorites.
• The Celtics have covered the spread in each of their last seven games as underdogs against Atlantic Division opponents.
• The Knicks have failed to cover the spread in four of their last five playoff games as favorites.

New York Knicks Player Facts

• Karl-Anthony Towns ranks 1st in the league for second chance points (305) this season.
• Josh Hart ranks 1st amongst qualified Guards for rebounds per game (9.6) this season.

Boston Celtics Player Facts

• Payton Pritchard is the only player to have scored 40+ points off the bench in a game this season.
• Derrick White ranks 7th amongst qualified players for three-pointers made Per Game (3.5) this season.

The Knicks remain without Precious Achiuwa who is a game-time decision, while the Celtics have ruled out Jayson Tatum for the rest of the season with a torn left Achilles tendon. The Knicks lost their focus for a brief moment in Game 5 and just couldn’t stop the waves of attack from the Celtics, who had to rally without their top scorer. The Celtics played like a team battling for their lives, and they were able to flex their depth as players like White, Brown, and Pritchard all stepped up in the absence of the injured Tatum.

Brunson will have to do a better job of staying out of foul trouble in this contest, but the Knicks know that they can’t go back to Boston for Game 7, this needs to end now. The Celtics were good enough to stave off elimination on Wednesday, sparked by a hot shooting start from White, but their 3-point shooting has been a double-edged sword and I think it may cost them again in this game. You can make an argument for either side here, but I think the Knicks can finish the job here behind a monster game from Brunson.

Peter Tran's Free Pick: New York -1.5

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