Boston Celtics DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Boston Celtics guard/forward Jaylen Brown scored 23 points on 7-for-20 shooting in Monday's 108-105 overtime loss to the New York Knicks. Most of the Celtics struggled to hit shots, and Brown was among them, finishing a shocking 1-for-10 from three-point range. His scoring total was salvaged by an 8-for-10 effort at the free-throw line. The reigning Finals MVP led his team with 45 minutes and wrapped up the night with seven rebounds and five assists. Brown has been hampered by a knee injury during the postseason but has boosted his scoring average to 23.0 points per game while grabbing 7.5 rebounds. Before going cold on Monday night, Brown had shot 44.4 percent from downtown. He will attempt to heat up again on Wednesday night in Game 2.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum struggled to hit shots in Monday's Game 1 against the New York Knicks, but still had an impressive outing in a 108-105 overtime loss. The Celtics superstar finished the contest with 23 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block. Tatum did most of his scoring during a hot spell in the first quarter when he scored 13 consecutive points for Boston. He was 7-for-23 from the field and 4-for-15 from downtown in the game. It was a poor shooting performance overall for Joe Mazzulla's team, yet they still lost by only three, which says a lot about Boston's quality. Tatum is sure to deliver a much more efficient performance in Wednesday's Game 2.

Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser (ankle) was limited to only four minutes of action in Monday's Game 1 loss to the New York Knicks. Hauser injured his right ankle in the third quarter while trying to contest an OG Anunoby three-point attempt. He exited the action with zero points, missing both of his field-goal attempts. Hauser was one of the best three-point shooters in the league during the regular season, nailing 41.6 percent of his attempts from deep. However, he has struggled to make an impact in the postseason, averaging 2.7 points and 1.3 rebounds in 13.0 minutes. Therefore, the Celtics likely won't miss Hauser much if he is forced to sit out a spell. Payton Pritchard, the 2025 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, and Al Horford will continue to lead the second unit.

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (illness) is questionable to return to Monday's playoff clash with the Knicks. Leading up to his premature exit, he logged only 13 minutes, failing to score a point while adding four rebounds. The C's have a decisive lead heading toward the fourth quarter, so it's certainly possible Porzingis won't be back on Monday night. If that's the case, Luke Kornet and Al Horford should handle things underneath the basket the rest of the way.

Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (knee) is not listed on the injury report ahead of Monday's series-opening matchup versus the Knicks. He had routinely carried questionable designations because of a nagging knee issue during the previous series against the Orlando Magic. However, the 28-year-old didn't miss any time. He recently indicated he's feeling better, which is great news. Unfortunately, Brown averaged only 16.3 points in four regular season meetings with New York, making him hard to trust from a DFS standpoint.