Boston keeps winning, but New York now holds critical edge in playoff race.
The Celtics (47-23) won Friday night.
The Knicks (46-25) may have won the bigger battle.
Boston’s 117-112 victory over Memphis (24-45) kept them 1.5 games ahead of New York for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, but the real shift in the race happened elsewhere.
With their win over Brooklyn (17-53), the Knicks didn’t just keep pace - they effectively seized control of the most important tiebreaker between the two teams.
And that changes everything about how this race will be decided.
The head-to-head matchup between Boston and New York on April 9 had long been circled as a potential swing game. But after Friday, it no longer carries the same weight.
The Knicks already hold a 2-1 edge in the season series, and even if the Celtics win that final meeting, it won’t be enough.
Because the next tiebreaker - divisional record - now firmly belongs to New York.
With their win over the Nets, the Knicks improved to 12-3 against the Atlantic Division, with just one game remaining - that April matchup with Boston.
The Celtics, meanwhile, sit at 9-5 in the division with two games left. Even if Boston wins out, they cannot catch New York in that category.
So unless something drastic changes, the Knicks own the tiebreaker.
Which means the Celtics no longer control their own destiny for the No. 2 seed.
From here on out, it’s simple math.
Boston likely needs to finish with a better record than New York outright - not tied, but ahead.
And that’s where the challenge really begins.
The Celtics have one of the toughest remaining schedules in the league, with nine of their next 10 games coming against playoff-caliber opponents. The Knicks, by comparison, have a softer path, even with a few tough road games mixed in.
The margin for error, already thin, is now essentially gone.
That’s what makes Friday night such a strange turning point.
The Celtics did their job.
They went on the road, handled a tricky opponent, and picked up a win they needed.
But the race tightened anyway.
Because at this stage of the season, it’s not just about winning. It’s about who controls the details
And right now, that edge belongs to New York.
Feb 8, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson (00) and guard Josh Hart (3) defend against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) in the second half at TD Garden. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.