Knicks vs Celtics NBA Pick: New York Aims To Take 3-0 Lead (May 10)

• The New York Knicks look to take a commanding 3-0 lead following two road wins against the defending champs.
• Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are two losses away from an improbable second-round elimination.
• These squads last played on May 7, with the Knicks escaping with a one-point victory.

One of the games on Saturday’s NBA slate features the New York Knicks hosting the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of a second-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Can New York move within one win of eliminating Boston in our Knicks vs Celtics pick?

Knicks-Celtics Game 2 Recap

The Knicks overcame a large deficit to steal Game 1. But if you thought that was luck, you’d be mistaken. New York followed that up with another come-from-behind win to take a 2-0 lead against the defending champs.

Josh Hart was one of four starters who reached double figures. He led the way with 23 points and six rebounds on 60 percent shooting from the floor and a 3-for-6 effort from beyond the arc.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 21 points and grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds. Jalen Brunson added 17 points and seven assists, but shot 6-for-19 from the field.

On the other side of the matchup, Jaylen Brown tied for team-high scoring honors. He finished with 20 points and six rebounds.

Derrick White also scored 20 points, along with nine rebounds and five assists. Jayson Tatum had a pedestrian night, finishing with 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting. To be objective, he rounded out his performance with 14 rebounds and five assists.

Like Game 1, the Celtics led by a 20-point margin in the third quarter. However, Boston trimmed the deficit to 11 points heading into the final frame, setting the stage for another furious finish.

Boston missed 13 consecutive shots during a scoreless eight-minute stretch. Tatum gave the Celtics a short-lived 90-89 lead following a furious dunk.

Brunson converted a pair of free throws, giving the road team a 91-90 advantage. On the game’s final possession, Mikal Bridges made another key defensive stop, enabling the Knicks to move within two wins of advancing to the conference finals.

Knicks vs Celtics Pick: Who Has The Edge In Game 3?

Despite faltering down the stretch in the first two games, the Celtics enter this matchup as a 5.5-point favorite, according to BetOnline. Here are a few betting trends for both sides looking ahead to Game 3.

• The Knicks are 5-1 straight-up (SU) in their last six games.
• New York has covered the spread five times in its previous six outings.
• The Celtics are 15-5 overall in their last 20 matchups.
• Boston is 2-4 against the spread in its previous six road games.

The Cs are down 0-2 after sweeping the four regular-season matchups between these franchises. But with their season on the line, the guys in green will respond with a hard-fought victory when these teams square off on Saturday afternoon.