NBA Christmas Day Spectacular showcases future and past

Garrett Ey • 12/24/2016

Oct 15, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) goes up for a shot against Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks, 12:00 p.m. ET

In what could be an opening round playoff matchup, “Wunderkind Coach” Brad Stevens leads this scrappy Boston Celtics team into the “World’s Most Famous Arena,” Madison Square Garden during the 12:00 a.m. ET, matinee to face off against the New York Knicks. The two teams are both hovering around the .500 mark to start the season.

The Celtics rely heavily on their guard play for the majority of their scoring, as Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley sit 1 & 2 in this category. Bradley is the type of player you love to watch play the game, as he excels on both sides of the floor. Stevens rotates an array of blue collar bigs, such as Al Horford, Kelly Olynyk, and Jae Crowder to pick up the defensive end.

For the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis sit at the center of what the Knicks do offensively. To win this game, the Knicks will need major contributions from Derrick Rose, Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings, especially on the defensive side of the ball to slow down the offensive prowess of the Celtics guard duo.

Prediction:

Merry Kristaps! The Knicks celebrate a happy holiday at home, with a big time performance from the big man.

[sc name=”Generic Link Next” link=”elitesportsny.com/2016/12/24/nba-christmas-day-spectacular-showcases-nba-future-and-past/3/” text=”Golden State @ Cleveland” ]