The New York Knicks will host the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, on Tuesday for their 79th game of the season. The Knicks will look to collect their first win over the Celtics this season, while Boston will look to sweep their division rivals.

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This game might not mean anything in the long run as the Celtics have locked up the No. 2 seed (in all likelihood), and the Knicks will likely remain as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Nonetheless, this is a preview of a potential second-round matchup in the playoffs, and the Knicks would love to win this contest, although the Celtics may not be fully healthy.

Boston has a handful of players on their injury report, including their superstar forward, Jayson Tatum. Tatum came into this contest listed as questionable.

However, Tatum’s ankle issue won’t be a problem on Tuesday, as the Celtics have upgraded him to available. Tatum will start and play in his 71st game of the season.

The Knicks will have a full squad available, as star guard Jalen Brunson has been upgraded from probable to available.

Brunson, who recently came back from a significant right ankle sprain, is set to start and take the floor on Tuesday for what will be his 63rd appearance of the season.

In his return to action on Sunday, Brunson logged 34 minutes and finished with 15 points on 3-of-9 shooting, along with six assists, two rebounds, and a steal. He handled a notable workload and showed no visible signs of limitation, suggesting he’s close to being back at full strength.

Both teams will look for their third consecutive win and finish the season on a strong note.

The Knicks have been impressive within their division, boasting an 11-3 record against Atlantic Division foes.

They currently sit eighth in the Eastern Conference in fast break scoring, putting up 15.8 points per game in transition, with OG Anunoby contributing a team-best 3.4 of those.

Meanwhile, the Celtics have continued to assert dominance in the East, going 36-12 in conference matchups. Boston ranks sixth in the NBA in total rebounds per game, averaging 45.3, thanks in large part to Tatum, who leads the team with 8.7 boards a night.

Both teams are heading into this matchup playing high-level basketball. The Knicks have gone 7-3 over their last 10 outings, putting up 113.0 points, 41.1 rebounds, 29.2 assists, 8.8 steals, and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting an efficient 49.3 percent from the floor.

Boston, on the other hand, continues to look like the hottest team in the league, winning nine of its last 10 games. Over that stretch, the Celtics are averaging 118.7 points, 48.9 rebounds, 29.0 assists, 5.8 steals, and 4.8 blocks while holding opponents to just 103.9 points per contest and shooting 47.5 percent from the field.

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