Stan Van Gundy contended before the first round of the playoffs that the Knicks boasted five of the top six players in their series against Detroit, with the lone exception being wondrous Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham.
That hardly is the case as the Knicks move on following a grueling six-game ouster of the physical Pistons to face the defending NBA champions in the Eastern Conference semis, beginning Monday night at TD Garden in Boston (7 p.m. ET, TNT).
The loaded Celtics’ usual starting lineup consists of four players who have made All-Star teams, led by perennials Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, plus another off the bench in Al Horford, who has been an All-Star five times and actually started four of five games against the Magic due to injuries to Tatum and Jrue Holiday.
Both coaches in the second round — Tom Thibodeau and Joe Mazzulla — employ no more than nine players in their regular rotations barring injuries or major foul trouble, and often cut down to eight, especially in tight games.
