The Celtics and Knicks, no strangers to high intensity matchups of late, battle for playoff position as the regular season winds down.
Boston (54-25) will secure the No. 2 seed with one more victory or any New York (51-28) loss. The Knicks can finish as high as second but are also battling with Cleveland (50-29) to see who will finish as the third and fourth seeds.
Thursday’s game will also mark the first time Jayson Tatum has played at Madison Square Garden since he ruptured his Achilles tendon in a road playoff game against the Knicks last season.
“Yeah, I’ve thought about it,” Tatum said. “I’m not thrilled to go back and play there. Last time I played there, obviously, it was a traumatic experience for me.”
Tatum is averaging 21.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 15 games this season since he returned from his injury. Boston has a 13-2 record in those 15 contests.
The Celtics are scheduled to face New Orleans at home on Friday. Tatum hasn’t suited up for a back-to-back this season, but following Tuesday’s win, Tatum confirmed that he planned to play Thursday against New York.
“Obviously, I knew at some point I would have to get over that hurdle and play there (Madison Square Garden) again,” he said. “I decided to come back and play, so I’m not necessarily skipping certain games. I can’t play back-to-backs right now, but I decided to come back and play, so it’s just another game on the schedule.”
Sam Hauser is available, but Jaylen Brown is out with left Achilles tendinitis. Neemias Queta (right toe sprain) and Derrick White (right knee contusion) are both listed as questionable.
Can the Celtics clinch their playoff position? Here’s the preview:
When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
TV, radio: Amazon, WBZ-FM 98.5
Line: New York -4.5. O/U: 216.5.
CELTICS
Season record: 54-25. vs. spread: 47-32. Over/under: 28-51
Last 10 games: 8-2. vs. spread: 7-3. Over/under: 3-7
KNICKS
Season record: 51-28. vs. spread: 40-38, 1 push. Over/under: 36-42, 1 push
Last 10 games: 7-3. vs. spread: 4-6. Over/under: 4-6
TEAM STATISTICS
Points per game: Boston 114.6, New York 116.8
Points allowed per game: Boston 106.9, New York 110.4
Field goal percentage: Boston .467, New York .477
Opponent field goal percentage: Boston .441, New York .459
3-point percentage: Boston .364, New York .374
Opponent 3-point percentage: Boston .359, New York .361
Stat of the day: Jalen Brunson is New York’s leading scorer at 26 points per game.
Notes: New York is coming off Monday’s 108-105 victory at Atlanta, which stretched the team’s winning streak to three games ... The Knicks have won five in a row at home ... The Celtics have won four in a row and seven of their last eight ... “Just ramping up at the right time,” Tatum said. “Knowing that post-All-Star break is pivotal for teams really trying to compete for a championship. And you want to be physically feeling your best as a unit, playing well together, clicking on all cylinders. And this year is no different. We’ve been playing extremely well going into the playoffs up to this point, and knowing that we’ve got a few games left to feel really good about ourselves and then find out who we’re going to play.”
Cam Kerry can be reached at cam.kerry@globe.com.