This Eastern Conference semifinal shifts to the basketball Mecca, Madison Square Garden, for Game 3.
The pregame narrative: The New York Knicks can put a 3-0 stranglehold on the Boston Celtics after stealing a pair of wins on the road. Boston is a sizeable favourite, though, after posting a 33-8 record away from home this year.
Check out my Celtics vs. Knicks SGP predictions for Game 3 on May 10, featuring Derrick White and OG Anunoby.
Celtics vs. Knicks predictions
Parlay: Celtics moneyline | White 4+ threes | Anunoby 15+ points (+320)
Celtics moneyline (-235): I refuse to believe Boston will go out this sad.
The Celtics blew a pair of 20-point leads at home and now find themselves in a tough situation at the Garden. But championship-calibre teams fight back, and I expect Joe Mazzulla to rally the troops.
You have to have a 20-point lead to blow it, and Boston put itself in a favourable situation in back-to-back games.
The Celtics shot below 37.0% from the field in each game and are shooting 25.0% from deep this series. That’s unsustainable behaviour for a group this talented, which had the 11th-best 3-point rate (36.6%) during the regular season.
As mentioned, Boston went 33-8 on the road (2-0 vs. NYK). Its +9.5 road net rating was the second-best in the NBA.
NBA SGP legs
White 4+ threes (-130): If Boston wants to turn around its 3-point problems, it’ll start with White, who is leading the team in 3-point makes (3.1) and attempts (9.4) per game this postseason.
He’s taken double-digit 3s in both games against the Knicks, going 5-for-16 in the series opener and 3-for-11 on Wednesday.
I expect that type of volume to continue.
White had torched the Knicks during the regular season, going 4-0 against this line while shooting 54.3% from deep.
Anunoby 15+ points (-157): Anunoby balled out in the series opener, scoring 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting. He took a back seat in Game 2, with just five points (2-of-9 shooting), but this seems like a good spot for him to rebound.
- The former Toronto Raptor is averaging 17.3 PPG this postseason, reaching the milestone in five of eight games.
- He also entered the postseason on a roll, clearing this mark in 11 of 12 games while averaging 25.3 points.
Boston defends every position well, but will likely focus on slowing down Jalen Brunson, which should lead to some open looks for Anunoby.
Knicks vs. Celtics predictions made at 9:30 a.m. ET 05/10/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.