The New York Knicks completed the common season from 2024-25 to 0-4 in opposition to the Boston Celtics. It’s a devastating fact that paints a darkish picture because the Celtics and the Knicks are on a collision street for a second spherical match within the NBA 2025 qualifiers.
Fortuitously, New York appears to have understood the way to modify the outcomes throughout the NBA 2025 elimination sequence – assuming that well being permits it to be sweat.
The sequence of the Boston and New York season has began in unbalanced approach, the reigning champions of the dominant NBA of consecutive matches. He has since change into extra aggressive, the Knicks pushing the Celtics at time beyond regulation over the past assembly.
One of many important explanation why rivalry has change into extra aggressive was the emergence of Og Anunoby as a defensive response to Jayson Tatum.
On the season,
Jayson Tatum is 4 out of 16 from the bottom (25%) with three assists and two reversals when defended by OG Anunoby.On the season,
Jayson Tatum is 13 on 19 from the bottom (68%) with seven assists and nil reversals when he’s defended by Mikal Bridges.– Tommy Beer (@tommybeer) April 9, 2025
The second statistic could be worrying, however the Knicks have each motive to imagine that Anunoby can proceed to make life tough in Tatum.
Og Anunoby managed to defend Jayson Tatum
Boston has gone by way of one other common season in a outstanding type. Along with going 4-0 in opposition to the Knicks, the Celtics are 59-21 in whole. This features a file of 27-6 since January 29, which has apparently able to repeat themselves because the NBA champions.
The indicators start to level to the Knicks giving the Celtics a better race for his or her cash than anticipated, and Anunoby performs an essential function on this improvement.
Anunoby is extensively thought of among the best defensive gamers within the NBA. He lives as much as this fame in opposition to Boston, forcing Tatum to depart his consolation zone and creating alternatives for the Knicks to cease in opposition to an in any other case intentible participant.
For a prospect on the shortage of slowing down Tatum, it has a mean of 27.0 factors, 8.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and three.5 objectives on the sphere in three factors made per sport in 2024-25.
Now getting into the playoffs with a championship expertise, the duty of stopping Tatum from scoring can be tougher than ever. He has a mean of 24.0 factors per sport profession playoff sequence, together with a model of 26.2 factors per sport since 2020.
Even Superman has kryptonitis, nevertheless, and the knicks appear to have a type for Tatum when Anunoby is the primary defender.
To make issues much more intriguing, Anunoby is within the midst of a major leap in the direction of the celebrity in assault. It’s on common 23.3 factors per sport since March 1 and 26.3 factors per sport within the final 11 appearances.
If Anunoby can proceed to mark and defend at this outstanding stage, the Knicks may have an opportunity to win all of the sequence they play.
