00:00All right, let's recap the Knicks' 1-12, 1-06 win over the Celtics.
00:04The Knicks actually snapped a four-game win streak from the Celtics.
00:07You got contribution up and down the roster.
00:10Josh Hart was on fire.
00:13But let's talk about this game.
00:14They were up as much as 13 at one point.
00:17The Celtics rally, that's what they do,
00:19but the Knicks were able to put it away at the end.
00:22What does that tell you about the Knicks?
00:24Two games left in the regular season
00:27that they are able to put a game like that away.
00:30From a juggernaut in the East, in the Celtics.
00:32Yeah, I mean, it was impressive.
00:34And listen, the Celtics didn't have their best player, Jalen Brown.
00:37But nonetheless, I think the most impressive thing for me
00:40was that two-man game again.
00:41Okay.
00:42Between Cat and Jalen Brunson.
00:44We saw them go off together in Atlanta three days earlier.
00:47We saw them do it again.
00:49We haven't seen that play to that frequency to be that effective.
00:53And here you have the two best offensive players on the team
00:56working harmony, working unison.
00:59I think that is a path towards playoff success.
01:02You talk about that two-man game.
01:04It was on fire Monday night.
01:05It was on fire again throughout parts of this game.
01:09But we saw Cat on the bench again during the stretch and crunch time.
01:14Are you reading into that a little bit,
01:17or is that just where the matchup took Mike Brown?
01:19Yeah, I think what Mike Brown has said, and he's held true to this,
01:22he's trying to expand Mitchell Robinson's playing time a little bit down the stretch.
01:26And listen, Mitchell Robinson is an important part of success
01:30because of what he does on the glass,
01:32what he does defensively disrupting the other teams.
01:35I think to me the more telling sign was who closed, and that was Cat,
01:40and that was Jalen Brunson doing their thing.
01:42And that allowed Josh Hart to get open a few times.
01:45Listen, Boston's strategy was let that man beat us, and he beat him.
01:49So props to Josh Hart for that.
01:51But for me, I think the more telling sign was who closed the game,
01:54and that was Carl Anthony Towns.
01:56Josh Hart, 15 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter.
02:00He had to have two Mike Breen double bangs at the end.
02:05How do you kill a leprechaun?
02:06Two daggers.
02:08He had that.
02:09Josh Hart, man, is that sustainable?
02:11Do you feel like he can play up to that level throughout the course of a playoff?
02:14Is that really how you kill a leprechaun?
02:16Two daggers?
02:16I don't know what I'm saying.
02:17If I see one in the leprechaun, I know what to do.
02:19There you go.
02:20Either that or the bang.
02:21Either that or the bang.
02:22No, I mean, he did.
02:23Listen, he's shooting over 40%.
02:26We're talking about Josh Hart for the season on three-pointers.
02:29They're still leaving him open.
02:31They think that, and the way Josh Hart explained it was,
02:34they don't think I'm going to shoot.
02:36That's not what I'm out here to do.
02:37I'm the fifth or sixth option.
02:39But if I'm that open, I'm going to have to take the shot.
02:41And he's been hitting him.
02:42He's been working with the shooting coach, Peter Patton.
02:45He's been paying dividends.
02:46This is a guy who entered the season with that mangled finger.
02:49Yeah.
02:50And we thought, how's he going to be able to shoot with that splint on his finger,
02:54with his finger looking that grotesque?
02:56He's actually shooting the best of his career.
02:59Mix.
03:0051 wins on the season.
03:01That's more than Tom Thibodeau era.
03:04I don't, you know, we obviously have to go there.
03:06But there's a chance they can have 53 wins on the regular season, but still not be the two seed.
03:13Seeding doesn't matter at times.
03:15So, the question is, are they in better position this year heading into the playoffs than they were last year?
03:22It's, I don't know.
03:24It's hard to say.
03:25I think they're still going to have to go through the Celtics, just like they did last year.
03:29And if they don't get that number two seed, which, you know, it's still unlikely.
03:32They put themselves in a better position tonight, but it's still unlikely.
03:35Then they're going to have to play.
03:37If there's a game seven, that will be in Boston.
03:39So, I think that's the difference.
03:40I do think they're set up pretty well right now, though, in the first round.
03:45Two of their most likely opponents, Toronto and Atlanta, I think they match up well against those teams, especially Toronto.
03:51They've killed them all regular season.
03:53They have them again tomorrow, which is going to be a possible preview of what we're going to see in
03:58the playoffs.
03:58So, I think they're set up pretty well, but they have to go get through Boston.
04:04And if they get through Boston, they're going to have to deal with probably Detroit.
04:07Lastly, this is our first Word is Bondi after dark.
04:12Finish us off, man.
04:13Your thoughts, two games left in the regular season.
04:15All right, we're getting a little spicy after dark.
04:18Yeah, I mean, I think that, you know, they get to almost pick their playoff opponent, depending on their result
04:24tomorrow.
04:24And then they have the Hornets in the season finale.
04:27Those are two playoff teams.
04:29And the Knicks have said they're going to play through it.
04:31And they're going to play all their guys.
04:33And they have a chance.
04:34Like you said, they've already eclipsed last season's total.
04:36They have a chance here to get 54 wins, which would tie their most since 2013 when they had that
04:45many wins.
04:47So, I think it's been a successful regular season overall.
04:49All right, Steph Bondi, go get some rest.
04:51You've got to be right back here at the Garden tomorrow night, man.
04:54And if I see some leprechauns, I know what to do.
04:57Two daggers, man, two daggers.
04:59We're relooking at a rematch of the potential second round of the NBA playoffs.
05:04The Knicks beat the Celtics 112-106 and snapped their four-game win streak with Noah Dazell of SB Nation.
05:12So, let's say, okay, Jalen Brown, Jason Tatum, healthy.
05:17Celtics at 100%.
05:18Same thing for the Knicks.
05:20This is hypothetical second-round matchup.
05:22They both should win their first-round matchup.
05:26What does that series look like for you?
05:30I mean, listen, I think we saw a version of that last year.
05:33I do think Josh Hart, who was tremendous in this game, is the X factor in that series.
05:38And he was great when they faced off in the second round last year.
05:41And he's a big reason why the Knicks came back and won that game.
05:43So, you're going to need Tatum to play, you know, probably even better than he played tonight.
05:47You're going to need Jalen Brown to play well.
05:49And you're going to need the other guys to step up.
05:51Tonight, Peyton Pritchard stepped up.
05:52Baylor Shireman.
05:53And the thing with the Celtics team is that it can be, you know, two of any six guys every
05:58night.
05:58It doesn't have to be all of them.
05:59And they found ways to win with just that.
06:01But I think this Knicks team is really dangerous.
06:03I know Celtics fans are going to feel confident going into the series, given how the season went.
06:08And, you know, they obviously had a great regular season.
06:10But I think it's going to be six, seven-game series, most likely.
06:13Two games left on the regular season.
06:15Do the Celtics lock up that two seed?
06:18I think so.
06:19Yeah.
06:20I think they're â do they still have a pathway to the third seed at this point?
06:24I think they're pretty firmly there.
06:26Yeah.
06:26They haven't been a Pelicans tomorrow.
06:28All they've got to do is win one game.
06:29Celtics have to win one game, and they lock that up.
06:31Pelicans is probably â tomorrow is probably the game you want to see them win.
06:35But truthfully, I mean, it's hard to even know how much the seeding matters.
06:37I mean, they were the two seed last year, right?
06:39The Knicks came ahead and grabbed home court.
06:41I don't worry too much about, like, seeding this time of year.
06:43It's more about are you playing your best basketball going into the postseason.
06:45And they have been.
06:46They've been playing really good basketball the last few weeks.
06:48All right, Noah, safe travels back up to the Beantown.
06:51Appreciate you hopping on with us.
06:52Thanks for having me.
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