NBA Legend Magic Johnson Names the Only East Team That Can Beat the Celtics
The Detroit Pistons are the No. 1 team in the East, but to Magic Johnson, the conference does not run through them-it runs through the Boston Celtics. To make things more interesting, he also does not believe the Pistons have the best shot against Boston.
The No. 3 seed New York Knicks appeared to be struggling against the No. 6 Atlanta Hawks. They won the first game but lost the next two in close contests. CJ McCollum hit clutch shots while the rest of the team shut down the Knicks' offense, swinging the momentum in the Hawks' favor.
In Game 4, however, the Knicks showed why they are a team to beat. Mike Brown's squad evened the series at 2-2 and regained home-court advantage with a strong, consistent performance.
They used balanced scoring to take care of business, led by Karl-Anthony Towns, who posted a 20-10-10 triple-double. OG Anunoby scored a game-high 22 points and added 10 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson contributed 19 points.
This performance was enough for Johnson to declare the Knicks the only team capable of beating the Celtics. He highlighted Towns' impact and emphasized how crucial his aggressiveness will be moving forward.
The New York Knicks dominated the Atlanta Hawks in a 114-98 victory last night. They showed me once again why they're the only team in the East that can beat the Boston Celtics!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 26, 2026
The Knicks had five guys in double figures and were led by Karl Anthony Towns who had a triple double…
There is a chance the Knicks and Celtics could meet in the second round if both teams advance past their respective first-round matchups. As of this writing, Boston leads the Philadelphia 76ers 2-1.
Towns has been under the microscope in this series. He has been taking nearly the same number of shots per game, but Brown has been pushing for more from him. This was evident in the Game 2 loss, when he scored just four points in the fourth quarter. Brown said he needs to find ways to get his star center more touches.
That issue appeared to be resolved in Game 4, and the Knicks now head back to Madison Square Garden with renewed confidence.
Their remaining concern is Mikal Bridges, who struggled in Games 2 and 3. He scored eight points in the Game 4 win but played just 19 minutes, down from his usual 33.
Related: NBA Announces Mistake Involving Josh Hart in Knicks' Loss to Hawks
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This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 9:18 PM.