The Boston Celtics were the odds-on favorites to win Game 1 against the New York Knicks on Monday night, but the Knicks put up a big fight, rallied back from a huge deficit, and secured perhaps their most impressive win of the season.
Speaking on MSG Networks, Wally Szczerbiak talked about New York’s win and what it means for the series moving forward.
In short, he doesn’t want anyone to discount this Knicks team.
“Celtics thought they were gonna prance through this series and just coast like they did against the Knicks in the regular season,” Szczerbiak said, via New York Basketball on X. “The Knicks showed this is a totally different team than the Celtics played in the regular season. I thought they were built for the playoffs, built for these moments. You have the most clutch player in the whole league. When you have that, that puts a lot of pressure on your opponent.”
Wally: “Celtics thought they were gonna prance thru series…Knicks showed this is a different team…built for these moments…Most clutch player in league…having that puts a lot of pressure on your opponent; you saw that pressure build on Celtics…missed a lot of makeable shots” pic.twitter.com/e0X2u26IO9
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 6, 2025
The Knicks knew the Celtics wouldn’t be easy, and they were expecting a tough fight.
Playing against the reigning champions is never easy, and the Knicks were very aware of that.
However, they showed their resilience and ability to bounce back, even when they are down by 20 points.
Instead of throwing their hands up in the air and giving up, they doubled down and kept with it.
A huge part of their win was because of Jalen Brunson.
Szczerbiak believes Monday’s game was a great reminder of why he just won this season’s Clutch Player of the Year.
He is a gifted player and a wonderful team leader, and he kept his team in this fight, overcoming the odds and chipping away at Boston’s lead.
Szczerbiak said the Knicks are built for the playoffs, but the same could be said about Boston.
So now it is time to see which team can outlast the other.
NEXT: Mike Breen Addresses Knicks' Chances Against Celtics