Two of the NBA's most historic franchises will meet on Saturday as a possible advance to the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The rising No. 1 Boston Celtics are coming off a seven-game winning streak, while the New York Knicks sit at No. 4 in the East after snapping a four-game losing streak.
While the Celtics remain firm in their grip on the Eastern Conference as the top seed, the Knicks are one game behind the third-place Milwaukee Bucks. So far this season, the Celtics have defeated the Knicks in all three meetings.
Here's a look at some of the historic numbers between the two teams heading into Saturday.
493: This will be the 493rd time the Celtics and Knicks meet in a regular season game, marking the most meetings between the teams in NBA history. The Celtics have won 303 times, which is the most wins by one team against another, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
2: The Celtics are first in the NBA in offensive efficiency and second in defensive efficiency this season.
In the last 25 years, three teams have finished in the top two in offensive and defensive efficiency: the 2014-15 Golden State Warriors, the 2016-17 Warriors and the 2022-23 Celtics. The Warriors won an NBA championship in both seasons.
fifty: When the Celtics beat the Nets 136-186 before the All-Star break, they became the third team in NBA history to win multiple games by more than 50 points in a season.
22: Jalen Brunson, a first-time NBA All-Star, continues his surge with 22 30-point games this season. Brunson now ranks third on the list for most 30-point games in a season for guards in Knicks history.
118.5: When the Knicks moved up in January, it was primarily on the defensive end. The acquisition of OG Anunoby played a key role in the turnaround, raising the Knicks' defensive efficiency to 104.4, first in the NBA.
Since Anunoby's injury on Jan. 29, the defense has fallen to 22nd, with an efficiency of 118.5 during February.
ESPN statistics and information contributed to this article.
