The Boston Celtics will be seeking more than just a win when they face the rival New York Knicks on Thursday night.
The NBA announced that a victory for the Celtics would clinch their fifth straight Atlantic Division title. A win would also solidify Boston as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference as the playoffs approach.
The Celtics (54-25) are riding a four-game win streak into Thursday’s matchup against the Knicks (51-28). New York leads the season series 2-1, winning the most recent meeting 111-89 in Boston on Feb. 8.
A fifth straight division title didn’t seem to be in the cards for the Celtics entering the 2025-26 season. They lost star forward Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles tendon during the 2025 season, and they got rid of key veterans like Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford over the offseason.
However, head coach Joe Mazzulla kept Boston on the right track throughout the year, and star shooting guard Jaylen Brown put the team on his back while emerging as an MVP candidate. The 29-year-old has posted career highs across the board with 28.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game this season.
“From a financial standpoint, this was a rebuild, right? But I didn’t look at it like that,” Brown recently told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “… I looked at it as an opportunity to show the world who I am and what I could do.”
With the Celtics on the verge of another division title, they are considered one of the favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals this year. Boston will surely be motivated to lock up the No. 2 seed when it faces New York on Thursday night.
