PREVIEW: The second-seeded Boston Celtics welcome the third-seeded New York Knicks to TD Garden for Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup on Monday night. Boston swept all four regular season meetings, winning by an average of 16.5 points per game, but the Celtics aren't taking anything for granted heading into this series. The Knicks will need exceptional performances from Jalen Brunson, who's averaging 31.5 points in these playoffs, and Karl-Anthony Towns to compete with the defending champions. Boston boasts the league's top-ranked 3-point shooting offense (52.9% frequency) and second-best spacing, which should create problems for the Knicks' defense that allowed Boston to connect on 43.5% of their attempts from deep during regular season matchups. The matchup presents a fascinating contrast in styles, with Boston's elite outside shooting against New York's efficient midrange game (ranked 3rd by ShotQuality). While the Knicks bring the league's fourth-ranked transition efficiency to the table, both teams surprisingly operate at deliberate tempos, with Boston ranked dead last in pace (30th) and New York not far ahead (26th). Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla's strategy will likely involve targeting Brunson and Towns defensively through pick-and-rolls, as Boston did successfully during the regular season when they produced a 130.2 offensive rating against Tom Thibodeau's squad. The return of Jrue Holiday, who participated in Saturday's practice after missing three games with a hamstring strain, would bolster Boston's defensive options against Brunson, the NBA's recently crowned clutch player of the year.