The New York Knicks are coming off of a tough loss to the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden, where Jayson Tatum led the way with 40 points.
While the Knicks weren't 100 percent healthy as OG Anunoby sat on the sidelines with a toe injury for the third consecutive game, the loss was a harsh reminder of where New York is compared to the other contenders in the Eastern Conference.
Celtics color commentator and former NBA champion Brian Scalabrine called the Knicks out after their 131-104 defeat.
“If you’re the Knicks, it all comes crashing down,”Scalabrine said via NBC Sports Boston’s postgame show h/t Heavy's Adam Taylor. “You are now reminded, once again, that you are not on the same level, and you have a long way to go.”
The Knicks simply aren't on the same level that the Celtics are on right now. The Knicks sit 2.5 games back of the Celtics and got blown out in both of their meetings so far this season.
A big hurdle that the Knicks have to overcome is their lack of playoff experience together, and that's something the Celtics thrive in. Boston is pretty much running it back with the same cast of characters that helped win the NBA Finals a year ago, making the team a formidable opponent.
The Knicks are still learning how to play together, and it's safe to say that the team has yet to peak. They hope that peak comes when the games begin to count in the playoffs, but these regular season meeting suggest that the Knicks have yet to accomplish their goal.
The Knicks will face the Celtics on Feb. 23 at TD Garden in Boston in one of the first games coming out of the All-Star Break.
