Pre-Game: Knicks vs. Celtics- Game 5

Hello. Today has been quiet in the Knicks world. There have been some interesting things to read, but nothing of substance coming from the Knicks or Celtics themselves. These teams are tired of one another, they probably-- as much as they'd tell you otherwise-- feel like their fates are set, and all that's left is to exchange dorky trash talk.

There are no new injuries to report, nor have there been any explicit changes in approach. The Knicks know full well they need to play a more dynamic, varied offense than they did in Game 4-- J.R. Smith's return should help with that-- and the Celtics know they need to limit their turnovers and do their best to keep the Knicks off the glass. Beyond that, they'll take any offense they can get.

The Knicks should win tonight. We now know they're capable of slacking enough (and the Celtics capable of conjuring enough offense) for things to go wrong in Boston, but at the Garden, with a fuller lineup, it'd take some pretty thorough crappiness for New York to drop a second consecutive opportunity to clinch. So please don't mess around tonight, Knicks. Not only does each loss increase the chance of a historic disaster, it eats into time that could be otherwise used to recover and prepare. (And on that note, the Hawks and Pacers meet in Indiana to break their 2-2 tie tonight at 8).

Tip-off is at 7. Look for a game thread in a few hours. How are we feeling?

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