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First To The Floor: A Boston Celtics Podcast

The Celtics and Knicks are on a collision course

·57 min·5 clips
The Celtics are 1-3 against the Knicks this season without both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown playing together.
Wayne Spooney and Jake Issenberg open the episode with casual banter about Jake's travel from Australia and the cold weather in Boston. They quickly shift to analyzing the Celtics' loss to the Knicks, noting it was a high-level game despite not having playoff stakes. The hosts emphasize that the Celtics are 1-3 against the Knicks this season and 3-7 in their last ten matchups, but highlight that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have not played together in any of these games. They praise Tatum's playmaking, citing his 17 potential assists, but point out his fatigue in the fourth quarter led to turnovers. Defensive breakdowns, particularly in guarding the Jalen Brunson-Karl-Anthony Towns pick-and-roll, are identified as a key reason for the loss. The discussion turns to Payton Pritchard's surprising isolation efficiency, ranking third in the NBA. Concerns about Derrick White's shooting slump are addressed, but both hosts express trust in him for the playoffs. Baylor Scheierman's strong performance is highlighted, though they note Sam Hauser might still be the preferred option defensively. A significant portion is dedicated to the backup center debate between Nikola Vučević and Luke Kornet, with pros and cons weighed for playoff readiness. The hosts then explore playoff seeding, expressing a desire to avoid the Hornets in the first round and preferring the Magic or 76ers, especially with Joel Embiid's injury. They briefly touch on Western Conference dynamics, noting the Nuggets as a tough matchup for the Celtics. The episode concludes with Jake sharing his excitement to cover the Celtics in person and a lighthearted mention of kindergarten orientation.

As heard by us

The Knicks loss puts Baylor Scheinman's big night at the center of a real Celtics closing-lineup debate.

The Celtics' loss to the Knicks lands as a useful measure of scale: it deepens some real concerns without erasing what Wayne Spoonie and Jake Eisenberg still like about the group.

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Why you'd press play

You want the Knicks loss without the spiral, plus a closer look at Baylor Scheinman's night that might be too fun to file away yet.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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