Pre-Game: Knicks vs. Celtics 1:00 PM

The New York Knicks will face off against their division rival Boston Celtics today at the T.D. Garden. The Knicks are coming off a blowout win over the Cavaliers in which they trailed by 17 points early in the contest, but were able to comeback and get the win.

This matchup today will really test the Knicks mentally and physically. The Celtics are one of the tougher teams to beat on their home court. The Knicks will have to play a team game and try to keep the Celtics off balanced with a fast paced offense. Jeremy Lin will have his hands full as he goes up against a tough point guard in Rajon Rondo. Lin hasn’t been strong defensively, but has plenty of time to become a better defender. Look for the Knicks to put Iman Shumpert on Rondo in the second half in hopes of limiting his output.

The Knicks second unit dominated the Cavaliers in the Knicks last game. Expect the same in this game, as the Celtics have a inconsistent second unit that the Knicks can dominate. JR Smith, Baron Davis, Iman Shumpert, and Steve Novak look to have dangerous chemistry that can win games for the Knicks. Defensively the second unit is the best in the league and could possibly prove deadly today. Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire will have to likely be the scoring tandem that fans hope to see. Anthony has played well since his return, but Stoudemire has struggled to find consistency this season. The Celtics will try their best to keep them from beating them.

The Celtics are a team that could possibly be in rebuild mode once the trade deadline approaches. But this team is still dangerous and can really overwhelm the Knicks with their tough defense. Ray Allen is expected to return after missing a game with an illness. Allen is averaging 14.8 points this season and is shooting 48 % from long range.

This game can be watched on ABC at 1:00 PM as the Knicks and Celtics clash for the third time this season. The Knicks are looking for their 19th win of the season and second against the Celtics this season. Let’s go Knicks!