Knicks or Pistons: Which opponent would the Celtics prefer?

The Celtics secured their seat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals by beating the Magic 120-89 on Tuesday night. Simultaneously, the Pistons beat the Knicks in Game 5 of their series to force a sixth game in Detroit. So, the C's must wait at least one more game to find out their next opponent.

Which begs the question: Who should the Celtics prefer to face in the second round?

For the sake of their own health, the Celtics might prefer the Pistons to win Thursday's Game 6 against the Knicks and prolong that series. The Celtics escaped round one over the Magic with no major injuries, but they certainly took their fair share of wounds. Jayson Tatum missed Game 2 with a bone bruise in his wrist, Jrue Holiday missed Games 4 and 5, and Jaylen Brown continues to manage his knee.

Assuming the series goes seven and all things are even, who's the better matchup for the Celtics?

A series with the Knicks may not hold the same cachet as Celtics-Lakers or the same deep-seated hatred as Red Sox-Yankees. However, it would invigorate the inherent New York-Boston rivalry.

The last time the two faced off in the playoffs was in 2013, when the Knicks bested the C's in six games. Yet, they have not played each other outside the first round in over 40 years. But the pedigree or intrigue of the series doesn't mean the Knicks are the preferred opponent.

New York was the No. 3 seed in the East, finishing the season with a 51-31 record. The Celtics won all four matchups with the Knicks. Three of the four victories were decisively in the Green's favor, but the fourth game needed overtime and was only decided by two points.

Prior to 2024-25, the Knicks were a mid-to-low-tier team in the Eastern Conference. But, just a few weeks prior to the season they traded for Karl-Anthony Towns (pictured above), who has given New York the needed boost. Disregarding his skill, Towns' presence alone makes the Knicks a tough matchup for Boston. The big man is averaging 21.6 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in the playoffs, and brings a strong physicality that could be an issue for the Celtic bigs - particularly Kristaps Porziņģis.

However, the true star for New York is Jalen Brunson. The guard is averaging 29.8 points per game in the playoffs, but those numbers are negatively skewed by Game 5 where he only put up 16 points - he registered 30-plus points in the first four games. Brunson has been decent from three against the Pistons (12-for-35), but his ability to drive inside and score or draw a foul has really stood out.

Although a series with the Knicks would make for great storylines, it could prove to be a challenging matchup for the Celtics. Nonetheless, they would enter that series with confidence considering their playoff experience, and season track record against New York.

The other potential opponent, the Pistons, is a team that can be best described as the Cinderella story of the NBA. Detroit has made one of the most remarkable season-to-season turnarounds in sports. In 2023-24, the Pistons' 14-68 record marked them as one of the worst teams in NBA history, and they set an all-time record for the league's longest losing streak (28 games). A year later, they find themselves two wins away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs.

Detroit is a young, scrappy team led by Cade Cunningham (pictured above) and a decent supporting cast, but they lack star power relative to the Celtics, or even the Knicks. They simply have a solid squad with the ability to keep games close to the buzzer.

Cunningham is the Pistons' largest offensive threat. He's averaging 25.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game in the playoffs. But despite his talent, the 23-year-old rising star may not be enough for Detroit to hand with Boston offensively. Other than Cunningham, nobody else jumps off the page. Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. have had isolated strong games in the playoffs, but not consistently enough to be concerning.

With all that being said, the thing that makes the Pistons scary is the underdog mentality that got them to the playoffs and can't be quantified. A series with the Pistons would surely be in the Celtics' favor. But should they advance, the Pistons would have nothing to lose, and that intangible quality could make them a sneaky threat.

At the end of the day, the Celtics are a deeper and more experienced team than both the Knicks and Pistons. Neither team would be the favorite in a series with the C's, but they could pose issues for different reasons. The Knicks have better high-end talent and can score, but the Pistons rebound and play defense better, and have an underdog mentality that makes them difficult to play.

Between the two options, the Pistons would probably be an easier opponent. Not to say the Knicks are that much better, but the talent gap between Boston and Detroit would be wider. Nonetheless, the Celtics are battle tested, and they get extra rest. If things go as they should, the Celtics should not be overly challenged with either opponent in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.