Knicks vs Boston Celtics stats tell the story of one of basketball’s oldest matchups. The Celtics–Knicks rivalry began in 1946, and these teams have been meeting for generations. Boston owns the stronger all-time record, but New York has changed the recent story with important wins in both the regular season and playoffs.
Quick Bio: Knicks vs Celtics Matchup
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Teams | New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics |
| League | NBA |
| First meeting | December 7, 1946 |
| Regular-season games through 2025-26 | 502 |
| Regular-season record | Celtics 309 wins, Knicks 193 wins |
| Playoff games | 73 |
| Playoff record | Celtics 38 wins, Knicks 35 wins |
| 2025 playoff series | Knicks won 4-2 |
| 2025-26 regular-season series | Knicks won 3-1 |
| Latest meeting | Knicks 112, Celtics 106 — April 9, 2026 |
Knicks vs Boston Celtics Stats at a Glance
When people look only at the all-time numbers, Boston has a clear advantage. The Celtics have beaten the Knicks 309 times in 502 regular-season meetings, while New York has collected 193 victories. That gives Boston a .616 winning percentage in those games.
The playoff numbers are much closer.
Boston leads 38-35 across 73 postseason games. That small gap shows something interesting: when the Knicks and Celtics meet in the playoffs, their history has been far more balanced than the regular-season record might suggest.
Together, those records give Boston 347 victories and New York 228 across 575 regular-season and playoff meetings.
That is a huge amount of basketball between two franchises from the same conference.
Why Is the Knicks vs Celtics Rivalry So Old?
The rivalry goes almost all the way back to the beginning of professional basketball as we know it today.
Both franchises were formed in 1946. They are among the original teams from the Basketball Association of America, the league that later became part of the NBA. Even more unusually, both teams have remained in their original cities.
Their first meeting came on December 7, 1946. New York won that game 90-65.
Since then, stars, coaches and playing styles have changed many times. The names “Knicks” and “Celtics,” however, have stayed at the center of East Coast basketball.
Boston and New York also have a natural sports rivalry between their cities. That has helped make Celtics-Knicks games feel bigger than an ordinary regular-season matchup.
All-Time Knicks vs Boston Celtics Head-to-Head Record
Here is the clearest way to understand their long history.
| Competition | Knicks Wins | Celtics Wins | Total Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | 193 | 309 | 502 |
| NBA playoffs | 35 | 38 | 73 |
| Combined | 228 | 347 | 575 |
The regular-season record heavily favors Boston.
But look at the postseason line again: 38-35.
That is almost even.
It means Boston’s large overall advantage was built mainly during regular-season basketball. Once the matchup reaches the playoffs, the difference between these teams becomes much smaller.
2025-26 Knicks vs Celtics Results
The 2025-26 season gave Knicks fans plenty to enjoy.
New York won three of the four regular-season games against Boston. Boston’s only victory came at TD Garden on December 2, 2025.
| Date | Matchup | Result |
|---|---|---|
| October 24, 2025 | Celtics at Knicks | Knicks won 105-95 |
| December 2, 2025 | Knicks at Celtics | Celtics won 123-117 |
| February 8, 2026 | Knicks at Celtics | Knicks won 111-89 |
| April 9, 2026 | Celtics at Knicks | Knicks won 112-106 |
That gave New York a 3-1 season-series victory.
One result stands out immediately: the February 8 meeting.
The Knicks went into Boston and won 111-89, a 22-point victory. It was the largest margin in their four regular-season meetings that season.
The final meeting was closer, but New York won again.
Latest Knicks vs Boston Celtics Stats
As of September 2026, the latest completed meeting between the teams was played on April 9, 2026, at Madison Square Garden.
New York won 112-106.
Jalen Brunson finished with 25 points and 10 assists. Josh Hart scored a team-high 26 points while shooting 10-for-15 from the field, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Mikal Bridges was also extremely efficient. He made all four of his field-goal attempts and finished with 10 points and six assists.
Those numbers explain something important about New York’s performance. The Knicks did not need one player to score 40 or 50 points. Several players contributed in different ways.
Brunson created offense. Hart scored efficiently. Towns controlled the glass. Bridges helped move the ball.
That balance helped New York finish its season series against Boston with another victory.
The 2025 Playoffs Changed the Recent Rivalry
To understand why modern Knicks-Celtics games attract so much attention, we have to go back one season.
Boston dominated New York during the 2024-25 regular season, winning all four meetings. Then the teams met in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Suddenly, everything changed.
The Knicks won the series 4-2, knocking the defending NBA champions out of the postseason.
Here were the six games:
| Game | Result |
|---|---|
| Game 1 | Knicks 108, Celtics 105 — OT |
| Game 2 | Knicks 91, Celtics 90 |
| Game 3 | Celtics 115, Knicks 93 |
| Game 4 | Knicks 121, Celtics 113 |
| Game 5 | Celtics 127, Knicks 102 |
| Game 6 | Knicks 119, Celtics 81 |
The final series score looks simple: New York 4, Boston 2.
The way it happened was anything but simple.
Game 1: A 20-Point Comeback
Boston appeared to have Game 1 under control.
The Celtics built a 20-point lead, but New York fought its way back. Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby both scored 29 points, and the game eventually went to overtime.
The Knicks won 108-105.
One statistic became a major part of the story.
Boston attempted 60 three-pointers and made only 15 of them. That meant the Celtics missed 45 shots from behind the three-point line. New York, meanwhile, made 17 of 37 three-point attempts.
Mikal Bridges then produced the final defensive play, stealing the ball in the closing second of overtime.
That gave New York a 1-0 series lead.
Game 2: It Happened Again
Could the Knicks really come back from 20 points down twice in Boston?
Yes.
Game 2 somehow followed a similar path.
The Celtics again built a 20-point advantage. The Knicks again refused to disappear.
Mikal Bridges scored all 14 of his points in the fourth quarter, while Josh Hart finished with 23 points. Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 17 rebounds.
New York escaped with a 91-90 victory.
Even more surprisingly, Bridges again made a crucial defensive play near the end.
The Knicks left Boston with a 2-0 series lead after overcoming 20-point deficits in both games.
Boston Fought Back, but New York Finished the Job
The series was not over.
Boston responded with a 115-93 victory in Game 3. New York then took Game 4 by a score of 121-113, moving one victory away from advancing.
The Celtics answered again in Game 5 with a 127-102 win.
That set up Game 6 at Madison Square Garden.
It was supposed to be a tense elimination game.
Instead, New York produced one of its most dominant playoff performances.
Knicks 119, Celtics 81: The Deciding Game
The Knicks crushed Boston 119-81 in Game 6 on May 16, 2025.
New York led by as many as 41 points. Its 38-point victory was the largest postseason winning margin in Knicks franchise history at the time.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each scored 23 points. Mikal Bridges added 22, while Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 21 points and 12 rebounds.
Josh Hart did a little bit of everything.
He finished with a triple-double, collecting 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
New York shot 46.2% from the field, while Boston shot only 36%. The Knicks also made 16 three-pointers compared with 12 for the Celtics.
The victory sent the Knicks to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years.
What Do the Recent Knicks vs Celtics Stats Tell Us?
The most important thing is to separate all-time history from recent form.
Historically, Boston remains far ahead in regular-season victories. A 309-193 record is a large advantage, and decades of Celtics success cannot disappear because of one or two seasons.
The playoff record tells a different story.
Boston’s 38-35 edge is tiny compared with its regular-season advantage. New York’s 4-2 series victory in 2025 made that postseason gap even smaller.
Recent regular-season results also moved toward New York. After Boston swept the four-game 2024-25 regular-season series, the Knicks reversed the trend by taking three of four in 2025-26.
That is why there is no single number that explains this rivalry.
Boston leads the long history. New York owns some of the biggest recent results.
Famous Statistical Leaders in the Rivalry
Many legendary players have contributed to these numbers.
Bob Cousy is listed as the highest regular-season scorer in Celtics-Knicks rivalry games, with 2,773 points in 142 appearances. John Havlicek follows with 2,427 points, while Bill Russell recorded 2,210.
Richie Guerin is the highest-ranked Knicks player on that regular-season scoring list with 1,864 points in 85 games.
When looking at average scoring, Larry Bird produced 24.7 points per game across 60 regular-season meetings. Carmelo Anthony averaged 24.5 for the Knicks, while Jayson Tatum averaged 24.4 and Patrick Ewing averaged 24.3.
The playoff scoring list features more famous names.
Havlicek scored 604 postseason points against New York, while Knicks legend Walt Frazier scored 556 against Boston. Larry Bird averaged 28 points per game over 16 playoff meetings, and Jalen Brunson averaged 26.2 during his six games in the 2025 series.
Different generations, same rivalry.
Why These Stats Are More Interesting Than a Simple Win-Loss Record
Basketball numbers need context.
Imagine seeing only “Boston 309, New York 193.” You might think the rivalry has always been one-sided.
Then you see “Boston 38, New York 35” in the playoffs.
Suddenly, the story looks very different.
Then add New York’s 4-2 playoff victory in 2025 and its 3-1 regular-season advantage in 2025-26.
Now the modern picture changes again.
That is what makes Knicks vs Boston Celtics stats interesting. The numbers come from different eras, and each era tells its own story.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who leads the Knicks vs Boston Celtics all-time record?
Boston leads the regular-season matchup 309-193 through the end of the 2025-26 season. The teams have played 502 regular-season games.
Who leads Knicks vs Celtics playoff games?
Boston holds a narrow 38-35 advantage across 73 postseason games.
Who won the latest Knicks vs Celtics game?
The Knicks won the latest completed meeting 112-106 on April 9, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. Jalen Brunson had 25 points and 10 assists, while Josh Hart scored 26.
Who won the 2025 Knicks vs Celtics playoff series?
New York won the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals 4-2. The Knicks finished the series with a 119-81 Game 6 victory at Madison Square Garden.
What was the Knicks vs Celtics 2025-26 season record?
The Knicks went 3-1 against Boston during the 2025-26 regular season. New York won 105-95, lost 123-117, then won 111-89 and 112-106.
Did Boston sweep the Knicks before the 2025 playoffs?
Yes. Boston won all four regular-season meetings in 2024-25. New York then reversed the story by beating Boston four games to two in the playoffs.
What was the biggest game in the recent rivalry?
Game 6 of the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals stands out. The Knicks beat the Celtics 119-81 to win the series and reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years.
Final Thoughts
The Knicks vs Boston Celtics stats show why one number is never enough to understand a rivalry.
Boston owns the much stronger regular-season history with 309 victories to New York’s 193. Yet their playoff record is separated by only three wins, 38-35. More recently, the Knicks beat Boston 4-2 in the 2025 playoffs and followed that by winning three of four regular-season meetings in 2025-26.
That combination of deep history and changing recent results keeps the matchup interesting. Every new game adds another line to a story that began back in 1946.
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