Celtics–Knicks rivalry
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2019) |
First meeting | December 7, 1946 Knicks 90, Celtics 65 |
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Latest meeting | April 11, 2024 Knicks 118, Celtics 109 |
Statistics | |
Meetings total | 561 |
All-time series | 340–221 (BOS) |
Regular season series | 304–190 (BOS) |
Postseason results | 36–31 (BOS) |
Longest win streak | BOS W21 NYK W21 |
Current win streak | NYK W1 |
Postseason history | |
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The Celtics–Knicks rivalry is a
The Celtics and Knicks were both established in 1946 as charter franchises of the Basketball Association of America, and are the two oldest teams still playing in their original city today.
History
1950s
The first playoff meeting was in the Division Semifinals of the
1960s
The Celtics major success continued into the 1960s as they were champions every season from 1959 to 1966. They were led by
1970s
In the
1980s
The Knicks had minimal playoff success in the early to mid 1980s, despite Bernard King's great seasons in that time. In contrast, Larry Bird led Boston to titles in the 1980–81, 1983–84, and 1985–86 seasons. In 1984, they met in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. It was a hotly contested series that ended with a Boston win at home in Game 7 (the home team won every game) en route to the Celtics' title victory over the Lakers. In the 1987–88 season, they met in the first round of the playoffs. Boston won the first two at home, but the Knicks won Game 3, but Boston won Game 4 and the series. They made it to the Conference Finals but got eliminated by the Detroit Pistons.
1990s
The Celtics and Knicks met again in the first round of the 1990 NBA playoffs, which the Knicks won 3–2. The two teams would not meet in the playoffs again until 2011. The 1991–92 season was the last season that the Celtics would reach the second round in the 1990s, while the Knicks made it to the second round or farther every year from 1992 to 2000. Under the leadership of Patrick Ewing and Anthony Mason, the Knicks experienced plenty of success including Eastern Conference titles in 1994 and 1999. However, they failed to win an NBA title. During this time, the Knicks' rivals included the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls, as well as the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers, all of whom faced the Knicks in multiple memorable playoff series during this time. After the 1999–2000 season, Ewing was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics. The Knicks descended into irrelevance and did not win a playoff series again until 2013.
2000s
The Knicks had a major collapse after the end of the Ewing era as they did not win a single playoff game from 2001 to 2012. The Celtics went into a new era under the leadership of Paul Pierce, who became team captain in 2003 and brought them back to the playoffs. In 2006, they drafted Rajon Rondo and in 2007, they acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, which formed their "big three." The trio helped the Celtics win their 17th NBA title in the 2007–08 season.
2010–present
In the summer of 2010, the New York Knicks signed Amar'e Stoudemire, formerly of the Phoenix Suns, who subsequently began rebuilding the team. Stoudemire averaged over 27 PPG in the 2010–11 season to help the Knicks clinch their first winning season since 2001. On February 21, 2011, the Knicks engaged in a high-profile trade with the Denver Nuggets to acquire superstar Carmelo Anthony. Those moves helped secure the Knicks' first playoff berth since 2004, where they were immediately swept by the Celtics. However, the Celtics would lose to the Miami Heat.
The 2012–13 season saw the Knicks flourish under the leadership of Anthony and offseason acquisition Tyson Chandler. Anthony won the 2013 scoring title and helped them win the Atlantic Division for the first time since 1994. On January 7, 2013, the two teams played in New York. With nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, a fight broke out on the court, triggered by animosity between Anthony and Boston's Kevin Garnett. After the fight was broken up, words continued to be exchanged, and after the game Carmelo attempted to go after Garnett in the locker rooms. This led to Carmelo being suspended for one game. Carmelo served his suspension on January 10 when the Knicks faced the Pacers. A rep for the league released a statement, saying, "There are no circumstances in which it is acceptable to confront an opponent after a game."[2][3] Both teams met again in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs. The Celtics, who had lost Rajon Rondo to a mid-season injury, led the first two games going into halftime but were held to 25 and 23 points respectively in the second half to fall to 0–2. With the series shifting to Boston, the Knicks won Game 3, but Boston avoided elimination by winning Game 4 in Boston and Game 5 in New York. Game 6, played in Boston, featured the Knicks leading by 26 in the fourth quarter. The Celtics went on a 20–0 run in less than five minutes to make it a close game, but the Knicks held on to win their first playoff series since 2000. In the next round, the Knicks were beaten by the Indiana Pacers in 6 games.
See also
- Yankees–Red Sox rivalry
- Giants–Patriots rivalry
- Jets–Patriots rivalry
- Bruins–Rangers rivalry
References
- ^ Ryan, Bob (December 15, 2010). "Another link in the chain". Boston Globe. p. C1.
The Knicks...take on the Boston Celtics—a rival in one form or another for the entirety of the league's existence.
- ^ "Carmelo Anthony SUSPENDED for Post-Game Clash with Kevin Garnett". TMZ.com. 2013-01-09. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
- ^ NBA Lead Writer (2013-05-02). "Postgame Fight Shows How Much Boston Celtics, NY Knicks Hate Each Other". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2014-03-12.