The Boston Celtics blew out the Philadelphia 76ers 98-78 in their first preseason game Monday night, but things won’t be as easy against the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
The Knicks will have fresher legs, as the matchup is the first in their preseason slate. And while many don’t see New York as a legitimate threat in the NBA, Celtics coach Brad Stevens sees a roster full of seasoned veterans behind star forward Carmelo Anthony.
“I look up and down their roster, and I see why they should have a lot of excitement,” Stevens said via Celtics.com. “They’re deep, they have a legit top-five player in the league and they’re huge on the interior.”
The Celtics are also a bit banged up going into Wednesday’s matchup — which will take place at the XL Center near Hartford, Conn. — with Vitor Faverani (knee), Jeff Green (calf) and rookie James Young (hamstring) all sidelined with injuries in addition to Rajon Rondo. Marcus Thornton will be a gametime decision after undergoing a dental procedure.
Here are your starting lineups:
Boston Celtics
Marcus Smart
Avery Bradley
Evan Turner
Jared Sullinger
Kelly Olynyk
New York Knicks
Jose Calderon
J.R. Smith
Carmelo Anthony
Andrea Bargnani
Samuel Dalembert
Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. NESN.com’s Sam Galanis will be live-tweeting the game, so give her a follow, and keep tabs on the action below.
You also can follow Monday’s Celtics-Sixers game right here.
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Photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
