Celtics Grind Out 107-103 Win as DarkHorse Under Cashes Comfortably

The Celtics survived a scrappy Knicks squad 107-103 at TD Garden, and if you tailed DarkHorse's under 222.5, you're cashing tickets with room to spare. The final tally of 210 points vindicated the read on New York's offensive woes and Boston's methodical pace perfectly.

This one was a defensive slugfest from the opening tip. The Knicks couldn't buy a bucket when it mattered, continuing the shooting regression we flagged from their opener. Boston didn't exactly light it up either, but they controlled tempo and made just enough plays down the stretch to pull away. Neither team cracked 110 points, and the pace stayed firmly in the mud—exactly what the model projected when factoring New York's offensive rating crater and the Celtics' deliberate style.

The public money pushed this total from 222.5 to 223.5, creating the exact value window DarkHorse identified. Turns out rest doesn't fix broken offensive sets, and Boston had no interest in running with a Knicks squad desperate for transition buckets. Four-point margin, twelve points under the closing number. Sometimes the sharp play is just recognizing when two teams can't score, and tonight proved it. Celtics improve to 2-0, Knicks fall to 0-2, and the under crew eats well.