Knicks vs Celtics NBA Pick: New York Hopes To Push Defending Champs To The Brink (May 12)

• The New York Knicks fell flat in Game 3, but still have a chance to take a 3-1 lead with a win on their home court.
• Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics hope to even the series at 2-2.
• These squads last played on May 10, with the Celtics claiming a 22-point victory.

One of the games on Monday’s NBA slate features the New York Knicks hosting the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of a second-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Can New York bounce back in our Knicks vs Celtics pick?

Knicks vs Celtics Game 3 Recap

The Knicks’ two road wins involved overcoming large deficits both times. Unfortunately, the defending champs were not in a giving mood for a third straight game, rolling to a 115-93 victory to pull within 2-1 in this series.

Jalen Brunson was one of four starters who reached double figures. He scored a team-high 27 points, handed out seven assists, and collected four rebounds.

Karl-Anthony Towns finished with a double-double that included 21 points and 15 boards. Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart chipped in with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

On the other side of the matchup, the Celtics also got solid contributions from multiple players. Payton Pritchard led the way with 23 points and four rebounds off the bench. He converted five of his attempts from beyond the arc.

Jayson Tatum’s final stat line included 22 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. Derrick White added 19 points, six rebounds, and five assists.

Like the first two games, the Celtics jumped out to a substantial lead. They held a 71-46 advantage at the break. The difference was that there would not be a second-half letdown, as the road team cruised to a dominant victory.

After shooting just 25-for-100 from 3-point range in Games 1 and 2, the Celtics converted 20 of their 40 attempts in Game 3.

Knicks vs Celtics Pick: Will The Home Team Finally Prevail?

On the heels of an easy Game 3 victory, the Celtics enter this matchup as a six-point favorite (per BetOnline). Here are a few betting trends for both sides looking ahead to Game 4.

• The Knicks are 5-2 straight-up (SU) in their last seven games.
• When listed as the underdog, New York has covered the spread four times in its previous five outings.
• The Celtics are 17-3 in their last 20 road matchups.
• Boston is 1-5 against the spread in its previous six matchups against Atlantic Division opponents.

The Cs are finally on the board following a solid performance on Saturday afternoon. Considering they jumped out to huge leads in every game this series, we should expect nothing less in Game 4.

And should that scenario unfold, it’s a safe bet that Boston will tie the series when these teams square off on Monday night.