The New York Knicks received a surprising source of help on Tuesday, Apr. 28 when the Philadelphia 76ers staved off elimination with a second road win over the Boston Celtics. Boston had entered the game leading 3-1, but Philadelphia pulled off a surprising comeback upset to extend the series.
In the process, the 76ers delayed the Celtics' seemingly inevitable trip to the second round of the playoffs, where they could potentially meet the Knicks.
Entering Apr. 28, the Knicks were a clear step behind the Celtics in regard to their postseason path. New York had to even the series at 2-2 after falling behind 2-1 to Atlanta, whereas Boston got out to a seemingly commanding 3-1 lead over Philadelphia.
Had the Celtics won Game 5, they would've moved on to the second round of the playoffs and received precious time to rest while the Knicks remained in a competitive series with the Hawks.
Instead, there's a sincere possibility that the Celtics and Knicks will advance to the second round on the same night. Both New York and Boston will have a chance to close their respective series out on Thursday, Apr. 30, as each side is equipped with a 3-2 series lead.
With this in mind, the Knicks can thank the rival 76ers for giving them an opportunity that can't be overvalued as they look ahead to a potential second straight postseason encounter with the Celtics.
76ers defeat Celtics, prevent Knicks from being less rested Round 2 team
New York has a degree of confidence heading into a potential showdown with Boston in the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. The Knicks eliminated the Celtics from the postseason in 2025, securing a 4-2 series victory and their first trip to the Conference Finals in 25 years.
Boston isn't exactly the type of team to be fazed by failure, however, as a former NBA champion with two All-NBA players leading the charge in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
With this in mind, any advantage the two sides can find is going to be coveted. That would inevitably include having more time to rest between series, particularly after a season during which the Celtics dealt with injuries to multiple key players.
Tatum is chief among that group having appeared in just 16 regular season games due to his recovery from a 2025 surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Thankfully, the Celtics and Knicks are effectively on even ground as the first round progresses. That permits the orange and blue to learn from the mistakes they've made against the Hawks without fear of physical recourse.
New York will rarely thank Philadelphia, but in this case, they received a welcome and surprising favor from one of their most bitter rivals.
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