NBA (4/9) | Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks: Back in the Big Apple
Written by: Varun Sharma
Published: Thu Apr 09, 2026, 4:35 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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We've got a big time matchup in the Big Apple tonight. The Boston Celtics against the New York Knicks. Two of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference.
We've got plenty to discuss, let's jump right into it.
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Game Information
Matchup Information
- Location: Madison Square Garden; New York, New York
- Date: Thursday, April 9th, 2026
- Tipoff: 7:40 PM EST
Key Players
- Jayson Tatum (BOS): 32.1 MPG | 21.6 PPG | 9.8 RPG | 5.1 APG
- Jalen Brunson (NYK): 35.0 MPG | 26.0 PPG | 3.4 RPG | 6.8 APG
Betting Odds
Odds via Lucky Rebel, an industry leader in the sports betting world.
Analysis & Breakdown
Two Pistols, Jaylen & Jayson
The last time Jayson Tatum was in Madison Square Garden he had played 40 of a potential 45 minutes, he scored 42 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists. He was on track to play the entire second half before he tore his achilles late in the fourth quarter.
Absolutely no, one at the time, thought he would realistically play this year. Then once we found out Tatum was looking to return before the playoffs, the question became how effective will he actually be?
Well he's now played in 15 games this year, he's averaging 32.1 minutes per game, leading the team in rebounds per game and now sits second in points per game. He's had an immediate impact on both sides of the floor and maybe more so on the defensive side.
The Celtics have held teams to 106.1 points per game with Tatum in the lineup and the team's defensive rating drops to 109.9 with him on the floor. They've won 13 of the 15 games he's played in and tonight with a win they can help send their division rival New York down to the No.4 seed.
Knickstape
The Knicks have won three in a row and are coming off a crazy 4th quarter comeback against the Atlanta Hawks. Jalen Brunson scored 17 points in the 4th quarter to lead the way, helping New York to their 51st win of the year and strengthening their grip on the No.4 seed.
Brunson's been great for New York once again this year, averaging 26.0 points per game and playing in 72 of the team's 79 games. The team's defense has been good this year, ranking 8th in defensive rating, but they've struggled to guard on the perimeter.
The Knicks this year rank 20th in opponent 3-point percentage and 3s allowed. They also rank 27th in opponent 3-point frequency, meaning their opponents are taking more 3s because of the poor defense.
Thursday Night's Best Bets
Jayson Tatum o41.5 PRA (-107) | Lucky Rebel
This is his return to Madison Square. The first time he's playing here since tearing his achilles and he's going to do it without Jaylen Brown. In two games without JB this year, Tatum's taken 23 and 24 shot attempts in the two games.
Last year, in games without JB; Tatum averaged 28.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and took an average of 22 shots per game. The Celtics are 15-3 in these 18 games with Tatum but without Brown.
His average usage rate is over 30% and that's something Tatum just doesn't get often. With all the narrative, all the usage; I'm just going to be chalky and bet on JT.
Jalen Brunson o10.5 A/R (-105) | Lucky Rebel
The Knicks have been going with a very starter heavy lineup as of late and Brunson's at the center of it. He's averaging 36.6 minutes per game in his last 10 games and if you remove blowouts it jump to 37.6 minutes per game.
Without Brunson the Knicks offense doesn't work and this is a matchup where you need to score a ton of points. He's cleared this line in 7 of the last 10 games he's played at least 30 minutes and two of the three games against the Celtics this year.
Brunson averages 11 potential assists per game this year but that jumps to nearly 14 against the Celtics. It has to do with the way the Celtics guard Brunson. They force him into making decisions and making everyone else step up to beat them.
Brunson's had 8+ assists in two of three games against Bosoton and the one miss he finished with 5 assists on 17 potential.
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