2026-10-23 · 6:00 PM CT · Regular season
New York Knicks53-29
Boston Celtics56-26ESPN standings data retrieved October 6, 2026. NBA comparisons use the completed 2025–26 regular season. Each upcoming fixture labels preseason or regular-season status.
New York Knicks2025–26 regular season
| Measure | Season average | League rank |
|---|---|---|
| STANDARD STATS | ||
| Points / game | 116.5 | 10 / 30 |
| Rebounds / game | 45.6 | 7 / 30 |
| Assists / game | 27.4 | 13 / 30 |
| Turnovers / game | 12.8 | 5 / 30 |
| Steals / game | 8.1 | 19 / 30 |
| Blocks / game | 3.9 | 29 / 30 |
| FG% | 47.8% | 11 / 30 |
| 3PT% | 37.3% | 4 / 30 |
| FT% | 79.2% | 10 / 30 |
| THE LAB MEASURES | ||
| eFG% | 55.7% | 9 / 30 |
| Turnover rate | 11.5% | 7 / 30 |
| Offensive rebound rate | — | — |
| Free-throw pressure | 0.238 | 25 / 30 |
Boston Celtics2025–26 regular season
| Measure | Season average | League rank |
|---|---|---|
| STANDARD STATS | ||
| Points / game | 114.9 | 19 / 30 |
| Rebounds / game | 46.4 | 3 / 30 |
| Assists / game | 24.6 | 27 / 30 |
| Turnovers / game | 11.5 | 1 / 30 |
| Steals / game | 7.1 | 28 / 30 |
| Blocks / game | 5.0 | 11 / 30 |
| FG% | 46.7% | 16 / 30 |
| 3PT% | 36.7% | 8 / 30 |
| FT% | 80.7% | 7 / 30 |
| THE LAB MEASURES | ||
| eFG% | 55.3% | 11 / 30 |
| Turnover rate | 10.5% | 1 / 30 |
| Offensive rebound rate | — | — |
| Free-throw pressure | 0.207 | 30 / 30 |
ESPN team totals and game box scores checked October 6. NBA season averages and ranks use 2025–26; preseason game results are shown separately. Ranks are within the league, with ties sharing a rank; a lower turnover rate is better. Season offensive rebound rate needs opponent defensive-rebound totals, which this feed does not supply. A dash means unavailable. This game’s offensive rebound rate uses the opponent’s actual rebounds.
eFG% gives a made three its extra value. Turnover rate estimates the share of plays lost before a shot. Offensive rebound rate is the share of available offensive rebounds collected. Free-throw pressure is FTA/FGA. The calculations are (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM)/FGA; TOV/(FGA + 0.44 × FTA + TOV); OREB/(OREB + opponent DREB); and FTA/FGA.
New York Knicks and Boston Celtics enter with scoring averages of 116.5 and 114.9. Start with the kinds of shots they get, not just how many points they score. A clean shot at the rim or an open three can matter more than another difficult jumper.
The shooting comparison is 55.7% eFG for New York Knicks and 55.3% for Boston Celtics. That measure counts the extra value of a made three. If the defense takes away the first good look, watch whether the offense can create another without rushing.
Ball security is the next pressure point. New York Knicks turn it over on an estimated 11.5% of plays; Boston Celtics are at 10.5%. Fewer wasted trips mean more chances to score and fewer easy chances going the other way.
After the shot, watch the rebound. Then watch which team earns free throws. Extra shots and trips to the line can keep an offense moving when the shooting cools. The season columns give the baseline; the game columns in our final breakdown will show which advantages actually held up.
Spreads and win probabilities are reserved for confirmed games within the next seven days. This game stays on the schedule; its forecast opens inside that window.
Last season 53-29 | 3rd in the East | Won NBA Finals
2025-26 efficiency 118.7 offense | 112.3 defense | +6.4 net per 100 possessions
The Knicks finished third at 53-29, then won the championship by beating San Antonio in five games. Their regular-season offensive rating was 118.7, and it improved to 119.9 in the playoffs. That is unusual evidence of a team getting better when opponents had time to prepare, rather than surviving only on regular-season volume.
Leon Rose retained the central group of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart. Andre Drummond replaces part of the center depth lost when Mitchell Robinson joined Boston. Mike Brown gets another season with a lineup that found highly effective offensive combinations during the title run. Continuity is a legitimate advantage against rivals introducing several major pieces.
The concern is frontcourt depth and whether last spring's shooting gains repeat. Drummond can rebound, but he does not reproduce every part of Robinson's defensive and offensive contribution. Anunoby's exceptional playoff shooting should not be treated as his new automatic baseline. Management has preserved a champion, yet injuries to a key forward could quickly push less established players into important minutes. A title does not make the rotation longer.
Projected finish is first in the East. The combination of strong measured offense, established roles and playoff execution gives New York the safest overall case. We expect competition from Boston and Cleveland. The repeat bid depends on preserving the defensive standard and enough frontcourt health, rather than expecting every hot stretch from June to last for six more months.
Last season 56-26 | 2nd in the East | Lost in First Round
2025-26 efficiency 120.0 offense | 111.7 defense | +8.3 net per 100 possessions
Boston finished second at 56-26 and lost to Philadelphia in the first round. A 120.0 offensive rating and plus-8.3 net rating confirmed that Joe Mazzulla still had a strong regular-season team while Jayson Tatum missed most of the schedule. The playoff failure exposed a familiar limitation when the outside shots stopped falling.
Brad Stevens traded Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia for Paul George and draft compensation, added Mitchell Robinson and brought in Mike Conley. A full season of Tatum is the largest potential improvement. Robinson supplies offensive rebounds, interior defense and a finishing target. Derrick White and Payton Pritchard give the offense continuity around a substantially altered wing rotation.
The front office repaired some interior depth without fully changing the shot profile. Boston took only 41 percent of its attempts in the paint and again ranked last in free-throw rate. George is another comfortable jump shooter, so replacing Brown with him does not automatically produce more rim pressure. George and Robinson also introduce availability questions. Stevens has built a plausible regular-season contender, but the alternative when the threes fail still needs to become more convincing.
Projected finish is second in the East. Tatum's return, established ball security and Mazzulla's regular-season structure support another strong finish. We place New York slightly ahead because its core requires less integration. Boston can finish first without proving that its new roster has solved the playoff weakness. Those are separate tests.
A matching published game video is not available in the verified archive yet.
