Knicks Unleash Superteam Lineup Against Celtics
The New York Knicks are starting Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns against the Boston Celtics on Friday.
HotTakes Editorial TeamUpdated 2 min read
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The New York Knicks are officially rolling out their massive offseason experiment on Friday night. Head coach Tom Thibodeau is starting Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns against the Boston Celtics.
This is the kind of starting five that makes opposing coaches stare blankly at their clipboards and wonder if they should have just gone to dental school. It is a perfectly spaced, defensively terrifying unit that looks like it was built in a lab specifically to ruin lives in the Eastern Conference.
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New York is looking to bounce back after dropping a 106-100 rock fight to the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this week. Rolling out this specific combination of players is a clear signal that Thibodeau is done messing around and wants his heavy hitters on the floor together immediately to set the tone.
For the prop betting crowd, this lineup creates an absolute nightmare for usage math. Brunson is the clear engine, coming off a playoff run where he dropped 45 points in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. But figuring out who gets the secondary shots between Towns, Bridges, and Anunoby is going to take a few games to untangle.
Bridges is looking to bounce back from a quiet four-point debut in the opener. He brings his famous ironman streak to a roster that desperately needs stability on the wing.
On the other end of the durability spectrum, Hart is stepping into the starting five despite a recent injury history that reads like a medieval casualty list. If he can stay on the floor, his rebounding from the guard spot is the glue that makes this small-forward-heavy rotation actually function.
Friday night in Boston is the first real stress test for this new-look juggernaut. If this starting five clicks right away, the rest of the league is going to have a massive problem on its hands before the Knicks head home to host the Orlando Magic on Sunday.
Key stats
The Knicks lost to the 76ers 106-100 in their previous game.
Jalen Brunson scored 45 points in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
Mikal Bridges scored 4 points in his 2026-27 season debut.
What's next
The Knicks will test this lineup against the Celtics before hosting the Orlando Magic on Sunday.

Key stats



