The Knicks (8-14) travel to Boston to take on the Celtics (11-10) on Friday night. 

The two teams last met on Christmas Day, when the Knicks beat the Celtics 106-104, in a game that was close throughout. We can only hope this game will be no different from an excitement standpoint.

Where: TD Garden. Boston, Massachusetts

When: Friday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. EST

Watch: ESPN; Streamed on ESPN 3; MSG in New York; CSN in Boston. 

Listen: ESPN 1050 in New York; WEEI 850 in Boston. 

Betting Line

Celtics (-6.5) according to Sportsbook. 

The Celtics are playing much better than the Knicks, and with the game being at home in Boston, they are a good bet to come out with the win and cover that spread. 

Key Injuries

Per USA Today.

Knicks' G Baron Davis and C Josh Harrellson are out. 

Celtics' G Keyon Dooling is doubtful.

Celtics' G Rajon Rondo and G Marquis Daniels are questionable.

What's at Stake?

Both of these teams need to get a lot better to get to an elite level.

As it stands now, both are in danger of missing the playoffs. 

The Knicks are 2.5 games out of the No. 8 spot. If they don't get on track, New York will be watching the playoffs from home. 

The Celtics are in the playoffs as of right now, but can't afford a slip or they will be in the same spot. They are also six games out of the top spot in the East, and 4.5 games back from the 76ers for the Atlantic Division lead.

No teams currently stand between the 76ers and Celtics in the division, so a win here could trigger a nice winning streak, bringing a Top-three seed in play. 

What They're Saying

Marc Berman of the New York Post was critical of the Knicks, who don't have a shooter. He felt that flaw was exposed in a loss to the Bulls, where power forward  Amar'e Stoudemire was forced to try a three-pointer that would have tied the game in the final seconds, which he missed. 

"After the dizzying amount of moves made since November 2008, it is amazing the Knicks still don’t have a point guard or a starter who can be considered a very good 3-point shooter, a staple in Mike D’Antoni’s speedball offense. Carmelo Anthony probably would agree that it is not his strong suit. Maybe Baron Davis changes both."

Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald wrote that he was encouraged with the team's blowout win against the Raptors on Wednesday, thinking it was a sign that the team is on track, in the right direction.

"Look, the Celtics will obviously need to get a whole lot better to concern anyone in the upper half of the Eastern Conference bracket come springtime, but as long as they can continue to clean up against the NBA flotsam, they can go about their internal business without the draft lottery gun at their head...It is still impossible to picture this team getting by a Miami or a Chicago in the playoffs, but they are no longer listless."

Knicks Player to Watch

PG Iman Shumpert.

With Rajon Rondo possibly not playing, the Knicks will need a good game from Shumpert at the point. If Rondo does play though, the Knicks will need Shumpert's defense to slow Boston's offense down. 

Celtics Player to Watch

SG Ray Allen.

He is in a favorable matchup against Landry Fields. That is a favorable showdown for the Celtics that they will need to exploit.

Key Matchup

Carmelo Anthony vs. Paul Pierce. 

Each leads their team in scoring, so this is pretty simple.

The Knicks will need Anthony to win this by a lot, but If Pierce keeps it close, the Celtics will win easily. 

Prediction: Celtics 97, Knicks 85

In Boston, the Celtics have a big advantage in this game.

They are playing better basketball now than they were early in the year, and the Knicks have dropped four of five.

The fortunes of each team will continue. 

Follow @mdixon1985

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Nobody—and I mean nobody—predicted a sweep in this series, but the Celtics stand one game away from pulling out the brooms, and here is why:

During the regular season, the C’s completely shut down teams with their staggering defense, only allowing 91.1 PPG—good for league best. The Celtics also shot an NBA best .486 from the field, and finished second behind the Bulls in defensive field goal percentage, holding opponents to .434 during the regular season.

In the postseason, the Celtics are up 3-0 on the Knicks, holding their high powered offense to just 93.3 PPG. That may not seem like a big deal, but it's 13.2 fewer points per game than they were scoring in the regular season.

Boston is limiting New York to just 40.1 percent (98-244) from the floor in the playoffs, a team that shot 45.7 percent during the regular season. Yes, you can say they don’t have Billups, but if you do, then you are not paying attention to the facts.

Did I mention that the Celtics can score a little bit?

In the playoffs, Boston is shooting 47.2 percent (116-246) from the field, good for second behind Portland. More impressively, the C’s are shooting a playoff best 52.1 percent (25-48) from beyond the arc, and lead the charge in assists, dishing out 24 per game.

The playoffs start a new season, and the Celtics are 3-0, playing arguably the best basketball in the NBA.

Boston has proven to be a completely different animal in the playoffs year after year, and are certainly a force to be reckoned with. The second round series against the Heat will determine who takes the Eastern Conference title; a matchup for all NBA fans to look forward to. 

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In my view, this line is primarily a result of this Knicks team not having won consistently since acquiring Carmelo Anthony and, therefore, being a relative unknown quantity whereas this Celtic team are veterans and proven champions.

In my mind this line is not reflective of the reality that becomes clear when you analyze position-by-position matchups and look at key team statistical comparisons.

Lets look at the matchups:

Point Guard: Rondo is a monster and quickest PG in the game but can't shoot a lick.  Billups is bigger, shoots a higher percentage and knocks down clutch shots but can’t defend much.

Look for Toney Douglas and Jared Jeffries (Yes, I said Jeffries) to cover Rondo often and Billups to cover Allen.  Not as much of a Celtics advantage if Billups can take Rondo out of his game with his veteran savvy and his shooting and size advantage. 

Shooting Guard:  Clear advantage for Allen but he is not the Allen of old.  Fields is critically unknown and, if he plays well, will give Knicks huge boost.  This is not likely, though, given his inexperience and, therefore, this is a distinct Celtics advantage.

Small Forward:  Great matchup but you have to give meaningful edge to Melo given younger age and much better ability to score and better rebounding.  Melo has 16 or 17 lead changing field goals in last two minutes of games this year—best in the NBA.  Melo should win a game at least for the Knicks if not two.  Knicks advantage. 

Power Forward: Interesting matchup with Amare a big question mark.  If he scores and gets Kevin Garnett in foul trouble he can have a monster impact.  Garnett is much better defender but doesn’t have the legs he used to. 

I would give slight edge to Knicks given how Amare has played all year and the playoffs have been his primary goal this year.  He generally backs up his words in big games and will do so again.   

Center: Obvious advantage to Celtics but without Perkins not so much.  With Perkins, Celts win one more game—at least—and that makes or breaks these series.

Bench: Douglas, Carter, Jeffries and Shawn and Shelden Williams can make a difference but Celtics have better bench particularly with Jeff Green.

Now lets look at some interesting team statistics: 

Knicks outperformed Celtics in some key fundamental statistics this past season: 

- Knicks were No. 19 rebounding team at 40.5 per game vs. Celtics at No. 29 at 38.8

- Knicks were N0. 10 in turnovers with 13.7 per game with Celtics at No. 20 with 14.6

- Knicks were No. 2 FT shooting team at ~81% vs. Celtics at 77%

- Knicks only shot slightly better from three-point line but took 12 more three-point shots per game 

Some of you may say these differences are slight but over an 82 game season they definitely indicate relative strengths and weaknesses.

One obvious and glaring distinction the other way is the Celtics only allowed 91 ppg and scored almost 97 while Knicks scored 107 and allowed 106.

Conclusion

The statistics above tell me that Knicks are much more fundamentally sound and efficient than people give them credit for but they don’t put forward consistent effort on defense and, therefore, can lose to tougher teams.  While Knicks have proven they can play defense in one-off games this year against elite sides they have not proven they can do it consistently. 

On the flip-side, given the age difference, if scores are in the 100-115 point range, I believe the Knicks gain a relative advantage.

I think it will go to a sixth game in NY and if Melo is hot could go either way at that point with Knicks gaining confidence every game.

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The lineups may change, but the clubs remain amongst experts’ picks to represent the American League in the World Series year after year. Competition is always fierce when the Yankees and Red Sox clash, but it is unprecedented during the postseason.

With the first-round series between the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics on the horizon, it raises the question whether this rediscovered New York-Boston rivalry can ever live up to the hype of its baseball counterparts.

While the Knicks wrapped up their first winning season in a decade, the Celtics completed a fourth consecutive season with at least 50 wins.

Back in October, the Celtics were the favorite to represent the East in the NBA Finals, whereas the Knicks were not even a lock to make the playoffs.

A lot of things have changed over the past six months.

Boston, who has taken a back seat to the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat, is struggling defensively as of late. Having traded center Kendrick Perkins, the Celtics were relying on an ailing Shaquille O’Neal to fill the paint, but he’s yet to fully recover and may not even be available for round one. In the meantime, they’ll choose between Nenad Krstic and Jermaine O’Neal—neither of whom is recognized as a banger.

On the other hand, New York has experienced a resurgence to reclaim the six-seed. Victorious in seven of their final nine, their only losses came against Chicago (minus Amar’e Stoudemire) and Boston (a throw-away game during which both team’s starters rested).

Carmelo Anthony, coming off two straight Eastern Conference Player of the Week awards, is playing out of his mind. Chauncey Billups is completely healthy, and Amar’e Stoudemire appears 100 percent after spraining his ankle just over a week ago.

With the way the Knicks were clicking over the course of their recent seven-game winning streak, the Celtics are fully aware of the task that lies ahead and cannot take them lightly.

Boston did sweep the season series 4-0, but the majority of the games were close, and the Knicks often held the lead in the fourth quarter. Only one of those games featured Anthony, Stoudemire and Billups together on the court, and they were still becoming accustomed to playing alongside one other at that stage.

Even prior to the Anthony trade, it was quite heated when these two teams met. Their matchup on December 15 had a playoff-like atmosphere, as Stoudemire attempted to thwart a Paul Pierce go-ahead jumper with a buzzer-beating three of his own. The refs reviewed the replay on the courtside monitors, but the shot clearly did not leave his hand before the clock expired.

Although the Knicks fell to the Celtics 118-116, it felt like something special might be brewing, reminiscent of that October emotion fueled by a Yankees-Red Sox quarrel for the pennant.

As rivalries often are, their next meeting on March 21 was extremely physical. After a collision with Boston point guard Rajon Rondo left him with a gash near his eye, Anthony might as well have stepped into the ring with Mike Tyson in his prime. The cut was still oozing blood in the locker room following the game and required five stitches.

Not to be outdone, Celtics shooting guard Ray Allen took a Jared Jeffries elbow to the head. Seven stitches were needed to close this wound that left him looking like he’d shaved his dome with a steak knife.

The last time these two teams faced off in the postseason was 1990, and the Celtics “big three” was comprised of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish. To put it in perspective, Knicks rookie Landry Fields had not even turned two years old.

They might not have any recent history together, but the Knicks and Celtics were involved in some epic playoff encounters throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. In fact, New York overcame Boston in the 1973 Eastern Conference Finals en route to their last NBA championship. That series went seven games.

While you can certainly expect a heated confrontation this Sunday when the teams kick off the 2011 postseason, this rivalry will be short-lived.

The Celtics are aging rapidly, and it’s safe to say their superstars’ glory days are behind them. Having signed contracts through 2012, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen will likely retire or wind down their careers with another team.

Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo are the only members of the core four with contracts through 2014. Pierce will probably retire a Celtic, but he won’t be granted anything beyond a two-year deal.

In other words, the 2012-13 season will mark the start of Boston’s rebuilding phase. If they can’t accomplish it this year, the odds of this group raising another championship banner to the TD Garden rafters are slim to none.

Contrarily, there are just a few teams younger than the Knicks, and by 2014, Anthony and Stoudemire will only be 30 and 32 respectively. By that point, a championship will remain a realistic goal in New York, while Boston will possibly endure a subpar stretch.

Unlike the Yankees and Red Sox, who are atop the American League annually, the Knicks and Celtics had not lived up to expectations for the better part of a decade. Competition breeds success, and success breeds rivalries; if you’re not competitive, rivalries are difficult to ignite.

The friction that has developed between the two organizations may persist for a few years. However, this city rivalry will never burn eternal as it has with America’s pastime.

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Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls are the No. 1 seed for the first time since 1998 and have a more than favorable match up with the Indiana Pacers. It would be surprising if the Pacers managed win a single game in the series.  

Doug Collins and the Philadelphia 76ers are back in the playoffs, but they have a daunting playoff series coming up with Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat.

Orlando will face Atlanta in the opening round. The Magic swept the Hawks in the second round last year, winning each game by at least 14 points.

All three of these series pale in comparison to the upcoming  New York Knicks-Boston Celtics matchup. This will be the most anticipated first round playoff series, for Western or Eastern Conference.

A potential Oklahoma City Thunder/Denver Nuggets series could easily go to seven games, but more people will be interested in this Northeastern showdown.

Emotions will be running high in this series. Since coming to Boston, Kevin Garnett has become the team's vocal leader and still retained his reputation as one of the league's biggest trash talkers.

Spike Lee will undoubtedly attend every game of the series. I expect at least one vocal confrontation between Garnett and Lee (similar to the Pacers/Knicks series from the 1990's).

The potential for this showdown is undoubtedly the X-factor for this to become an exciting and much talked about series.

Much of the hype and anticipation for the series is centered around the mystique of these franchises. Both have large fan bases around the world and are mainstays for sports media.

The Boston Celtics, along with the Los Angeles Lakers, are one of the NBA's premier franchises. They have won the most NBA championships and have had Hall of Fame talent that rivals the New York Yankees and Montreal Canadians.

This season has been no different. When healthy, their starting lineup consists of five players who all have a great chance of one day being enshrined in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Four Celtics made the 2011 NBA-All Star Game, and they are the defending Eastern Conference champions. 

The New York Knicks may never rival the Lakers and Celtics success, but they are one of the better franchises in NBA history.

Their presence in North America's largest market will always make them a presence in the media, if they do or don't have a winning record.

This hasn't been the case this season with the arrivals of Amare Stoudemire or Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2004 and haven't had this much national attention since Patrick Ewing played at Madison Square Garden.

Mike D'Antoni's squad has yet to reach the status of a championship caliber team, but it has made Knicks fans forget about those pathetic Eddy Curry and Stephon Marbury years.

Their is no doubt the Boston Celtics will be a heavy favorite going into this series, but the Knicks have a better shot of pulling off a first round upset than the Indiana Pacers or New Orleans.

The Celtics are not the same dominant team they were when the year started. After their Monday night loss against the Washington Wizards, they are now 14-12 since the Kendrick Perkins trade.

Another reason for the struggles has been the injuries suffered by veterans such as Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O' Neal. This is far from the team that lost only four games before Christmas.

The Celtics have stumbled going in to the last two postseasons and still had success. In 2009, it took seven games to finish off the Chicago Bulls in one of the best series in years.

They fell to the Orlando Magic in the next round, and would likely have fared better in both series if Kevin Garnett was healthy.

Last year, they were perceived as a struggling and banged up team whose window of opportunity was closing. Instead of losing in the early rounds, they surprised many outside of New England and took the Lakers to Game 7 in the NBA Finals. 

The Boston Celtics are going to the NBA Playoffs for a fourth consecutive year and have overcome many obstacles before, a big reason why they are the favorites going into the series.

On the surface, the Knicks record doesn't indicate a team with playoff experience. This is far from the truth.

Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony have been part of deep playoff runs with their previous teams.

Stoudemire helped the Phoenix Suns reach the Western Conference Finals in 2005 and 2010.

Carmelo Anthony led the Denver Nuggets to Western Conference Finals in 2009 and came within two wins of the NBA Finals.

Chauncey Billups was the 2004 NBA Finals MVP for the title-winning Detroit Pistons and helped get them to Game 7 in the 2005 NBA Finals.

The Knicks' top three guys have playoff experience, but the problem for this team is their inconsistency throughout the year, both before and after the Carmelo Anthony trade.

Before the the trade, the Knicks began the season with a 3-8 record and then won 13 of their next 15 games.

After the trade, the Knicks went 1-9 in one stretch during March, but enter Tuesday's game with the Chicago Bulls on a seven game winning stretch.

There's no telling which Knicks team the Boston Celtics will face when their playoff series begins this weekend. Both teams will face each other in their regular season finales on Thursday evening, giving us a preview of things to come in the playoffs.

Boston won the first three games of the regular season by margins of four, two, and 10 points. Those margins aren't too high, but records from regular season matchups can never be emphasized enough.

The New York Knicks are currently the second highest scoring team in the NBA. The Boston Celtics have surrendered the fewest points per game in the NBA, but are second to last in rebounds (a number that reflects the injuries they have suffered).

Mike D'Antoni led the high scoring Phoenix Suns to the playoffs for four consecutive years and never made it to the NBA Finals. Three of those early exits occurred against the defensive minded San Antonio Spurs.

The Knicks can put up points, and have only scored less than 100 points, 11 times this season. Just like in Phoenix, the defensive play of D'Antoni's team will be scrutinized entering the NBA Playoffs.

Whether this is a four game sweep or a seven game thriller, the Boston Celtics-New York Knicks will play in the most anticipated matchup in the first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs.

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Can it get any tougher for the Knicks in Round 1 of the 2011 NBA Playoffs?

To be honest, I was hoping for a chance to play Miami in the first round, so the Knicks would have a chance to make a statement by pulling off the upset against LeBron and Co. Instead, with a Heat win and a Boston loss tonight, the Knicks will play Boston in the first round.

There are a couple of notes to make. Ever since the Celtics traded away Kendrick Perkins they just have not been able to score the ball as well as they did earlier in the season.

With no real big man the Knicks do seem to match up well. It will be interesting to see who guards whom throughout the game and if the Knicks defense will hold up.

You have to imagine you put Amar'e on Garnett and Melo on Pierce. The Rondo-Billups matchup will be fun to watch, so who do you put on Ray Allen? You have to question if Landry Fields will be able to guard the perimeter without allowing Allen to get inside and hit the easy jumper.

The key to the game is guarding Ray Allen, and not letting the Celtics get on an early three-point spree. 

Although the Celtics lead the season series 3-0 the Knicks had leads into the fourth quarter when playing at MSG.

The big question for the Knicks is the same they've had all season: Can they play defense against one of the top teams in the league? I think how tough the Knicks play defense in the series will come down to the leadership of Amar'e and Melo. If these two veteran players can step up and play some D hopefully it will rub off on the rest of the team. It also doesn't hurt to have NBA Finals MVP "Mr. Big Shot" Billups at your point.

This will definitely be a fun series to watch, and we all know The Garden will be rocking. I hope the Knicks can pull the upset and get the opportunity to play LeBron and the Heat in round two!

For my opinion all throughout the playoffs, follow me on Twitter! @dscarfogliero

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Boston Celtics:

Key Acquisitions: Shaquille O'Neal (C), Jermaine O'Neal (PF)

Key Departures: Rasheed Wallace (PF), Tony Allen (SF)

After a somewhat shocking run to the NBA Finals last spring, there where many questions surrounding the future of this franchise.  Will Paul Pierce and Ray Allen resign? Will Allen even retire? How will they fill the gap Kendrick Perkins left when he tore his ACL?

Like any successful team, the Celtics went out and proved that they still have it in them to give it one more run at a title, resigning the Big Three and acquiring the two O'Neals to provide stellar depth in the front court.  When Perkins finally comes back to full strength (he tore his ACL in Game 6 of the Finals), the Celtics will have perhaps the most solidified and intimidating front court in the NBA.

And let's not forget about the other guys.  Rajon Rondo has easily emerged as one of the quickest and smartest point guards in the league, who has also learned to take control of his team on and off the court.  And Nate Robinson, after being traded from the Knicks, provided instant energy off the bench along with Glen Davis and could be the spark plug this team needs in tough situations.

That being said, I say the Celtics have a legitimate shot to reach the Finals, as they have a more balanced, and overall more talented roster than their foes in South Beach.

New York Knicks:

Key Acquisitions: Amar'e Stoudemire (C), Raymond Felton (PG), Anthony Randolph (PF)

Key Departures: Tracy McGrady (SG), Al Harrington (PF)

Going into the offseason, the Knicks had one goal: sign LeBron James. It didn't happen. And when it didn't, the Knicks needed to get busy, and fast, for they only had three players signed for the upcoming year (one of them being Eddy Curry).

Considering the situation, the franchise responded well, signing All-Star Center Amar'e Stoudemire from the Suns and consistent, all-around point guard Raymond Felton from Charlotte.  Combined with young talents like Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, these new additions should certainly help the Knicks move in a positive direction, something they have been trying to accomplish will little to no success for the last five years. 

Hopefully a new GM, possibly former St. John's star Chris Mullin, understands the value of draft picks and will hold onto them, unlike his predecessor, allowing this team to build upon the core it has created.

As for Carmelo Anthony, unless the Nuggets are willing to accept an out of shape Eddy Curry and a 2012 draft pick, it seems highly unlikely he will suit up in blue and orange anytime soon.

Look for the Knicks to be a low seed in the playoffs come May, if of course, everything goes as planned. (Knicks fans know to knock on wood about now)

New Jersey Nets:

Key Acquisitions: Troy Murphy (PF), Travis Outlaw (SF), Derrick Favors (PF), Damion James (PF)

Key Departures: Courtney Lee (SG), Chris Douglas-Roberts (SF)

After serving as the laughing stock of the league for a year, it looks like the only place to go is up.  As another team left unsatisfied with the "LeBron Sweepstakes," the Nets had a lot of cap room to fill, and a lot of holes to go with it.  After a few smart trades, the Nets rid themselves of a few risky investments in favor of players like Murphy, Outlaw, and Anthony Morrow, who are capable of providing some instant offense as well as solid defense.

While none of the names on the Nets roster may stand out to the average NBA fan, they definitely have the potential to in the near future. Brook Lopez had a tremendous season last year, and he seems to be the perfect role model for rookie big men Derrick Favors and Damion James.

In a successful season, the Nets triple their win total from last season (12), missing the postseason, but not by much.

Philadelphia 76ers

Key Acquisitions: Andres Nocioni (SF), Evan Turner (SG)

Key Departures: Samuel Dalembert (C), Allen Iverson (SG)

The 76ers sneeked into the two spot in the draft, hitting an absolute jackpot in Evan Turner.  If the things he did for Ohio State last year are any insight into what he can do in the future, boy is he going to be fun to watch.  Paired up with sophomore Jrue Holliday in the back court, Turner is going to give opposing defenses nightmares.  The 76ers definitely have high hopes for this tandem, but the same cannot be said for the injury-prone Elton Brand.  After signing Brand to a mega contract in 2008, the Sixers certainly have not gotten what they bargained for, and need him to stay healthy if they are going to do any damage in this division this year.

I expect them, like the Nets, to come just short of the postseason, but show definite signs of potential for the years to come.

Toronto Raptors:

Key Acquisitions: Leandro Barbosa (SG), Amir Johnson (PF)

Key Departures: Hedo Turkoglu (F), Chris Bosh (PF), Chris Bosh (PF), Chris Bosh (PF)

No, that is not a typo. The city of Toronto was devastated when Bosh announced that he would be "taking his talents to South Beach" or so the phrase goes.  Although the fans are upset, I think the team is in even worse shape.  Suddenly without a go-to guy, the Raptors are going to need to find away to scrape out wins, if they do even win many games at all.  At least Raptors vs. Cavaliers games are going to be almost as exciting as Celtics vs. Lakers games now. A battle between two sub-par rosters  each trying to prove they haven't suddenly becomes the worst team in the league. Who knows, maybe the Raptors will even pursue Vince Carter to try to bring back the old days?

But seriously, the expectations for this franchise can't be any higher than merely to survive without making any "league's worst" records.

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One day you are hitting a buzzer-beater, and the next you are waiver wire fodder with no teams interested in your services.  It is the sad reality of the NBA.  

While you may fall in love with your favorite players, their time to hang it up comes seemingly much too quickly.  Here is a list of players that would do well to heed Father Time's suggestion and hang up the sneakers. 

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