NBA fans believe defending champs have the edge over Jalen Brunson and NY in Round 2

The New York Knicks outlasted the Detroit Pistons 116-113 in Game 6 on Thursday to advance to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Jalen Brunson scored a 3-pointer before a Malik Beasley turnover ended the Pistons’ playoff campaign. The Knicks set up a showdown with their traditional rivals, the Boston Celtics, in the semifinals.

Fans promptly reacted to the upcoming showdown between two Eastern Conference powerhouses:

“Knicks are food for celtics unfortunately”

One fan said:

“Knicks in 7”

Another fan added:

“Heart breaking ending for the pistons… Celtics in 5”

@Not24HRS continued:

“I can’t see anything else apart from Celtics in 5.”

@Dylan_Sandas commented:

“It’s Boston in 5 maximum”

The Boston Celtics punched a ticket to the second round on Tuesday by beating the Orlando Magic in five games. Boston needed a surge in the third quarter of Game 5 when Paolo Banchero sat out because of foul trouble to complete the gentleman’s sweep. The Cs won, but the Magic might have shown the blueprint for how to beat the defending champs.

Meanwhile, New York had to survive a grueling series against the inexperienced but resilient Detroit Pistons. Jalen Brunson and Co. lost twice at home but swept the three games in Detroit, including the clincher on Thursday. The last four games of the highly-contested series were decided by 15 points combined.

New York and Boston are banged up heading into their highly anticipated series. The healthier team will likely have an edge in what is expected to be an ultra-competitive showdown between the traditional rivals.

The New York Knicks gave the Boston Celtics fits in their final regular season game

New York lost by 23, 27 and 13 points to Boston in their first three meetings in the regular season. On April 8, with playoff seeding at stake, Tom Thibodeau’s team gave the Joe Mazzulla-coached defending champs fits.

The Cs needed a Kristaps Porzingis 3-pointer late in overtime to prevail 119-117. Boston secured the No. 2 spot after the hard fought win. Jayson Tatum finished the game with 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists but New York limited Jaylen Brown to six points.

The tightly contested loss could give New York a boost heading into their playoff series against the defending champs. Although most fans see the Celtics handily winning the series, the result could be different.

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Michael Macasero brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his coverage of basketball at Sportskeeda with over 18 years of diverse work experience. This includes stints at Convergys, Interpace and RunRepeat.

Michael’s background in English and Journalism has provided him with the analytical skills and precision necessary for creating content, and he is a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics. His favorite players include legends like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, modern stars like Tim Duncan, and Nikola Jokic, as well as emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Michael respects Gregg Popovich, despite his contentious demeanor in interviews, and recognizes Popovich’s genius in adapting his coaching style to maximize the talent on his roster over the years. Michael eagerly anticipates seeing how Popovich will structure the offense around emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Understanding the story and details is crucial to Michael’s reporting philosophy and he believes overlooking details, particularly when pressed for time, can lead to misunderstandings and inaccurate conclusions.

Aside from work, Michael’s children are his hobbies, and he also likes to go running, swimming and weightlifting.

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Edited by Michael Macasero