Celtics-Knicks rivalry explained: The Garden battles that built the NBA's edge

Two of the oldest franchises in NBA history just happen to play in the same division. The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks have faced off several times over the years, creating quite a rivalry between the two teams.

From the Knicks’ early dominance and recent resurgence to the Celtics’ dynasty with Bill Russell and modern title runs, the rivalry has delivered plenty of memorable moments.

Here’s a breakdown of the Celtics-Knicks rivalry, from the classic battles to the matchups between current superstars.

Why Celtics vs. Knicks became personal

Being an original NBA franchise comes with the desire to own the ultimate bragging rights. The close proximity to each other only adds to the animosity — just ask the Yankees and Red Sox.

As of the 2025-26 season, the Celtics and Knicks have faced each other 500 times in the regular season and 73 times in the playoffs. Boston has the all-time advantage with a regular-season record of 309-191 and playoff record of 38-35 against New York.

Intense matchups between Russell, Walt Frazier, Larry Bird, Bernard King and more have led to fights between fans and players alike.

Must-know playoff series and classic moments

In the first playoff matchup between the two teams in the 1951 East Division Semifinals, the Knicks won the series, 2-0. (It was a best-of-three series at the time.) The next year in the same round, the Knicks won a tough series against the Celtics, 2-1.

Following yet another series win in 1953, the Celtics would win the next four playoff matchups. Russell, Bob Cousy, Sam Jones and more ran through the rest of the league in the 1950s and 1960s, winning several NBA championships.

The 1970s saw a shift. The Knicks, with Frazier, Earl Monroe and Willis Reed, became the new king of the Eastern Conference. Then, the 1980s saw Bird and King go back and forth with the Celtics largely dominating the East throughout the decade.

After a 21-year gap between meetings in the playoffs, the Celtics swept the Knicks in 2011 in the first round, despite a 42-point, 17-rebound performance from Carmelo Anthony in Game 2.

The teams would face off once again in 2013, this time with the Knicks winning, 4-2. Rajon Rondo was sidelined, and the Knicks took advantage. Anthony averaged 29.2 points per game in the series.

The modern rivalry: What’s changed and what hasn’t

The 2020s have seen a renewed rivalry between the Knicks and Celtics.

The Knicks, led by Jalen Brunson, battled the Celtics, led by Jaylen Brown, in the 2025 playoffs, marking the first postseason clash since 2013. The Knicks beat the Celtics, 4-2, in a series in which Jayson Tatum suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.

Could this be the start of a new era in the East, featuring multiple postseason clashes between Boston and New York?