Basketball America wants Celtics-Knicks in the playoffs—16th time’s the charm!

The Celtics-Knicks playoff showdown is official for Game 1 on Causeway Street Monday night, and it’s the matchup Basketball America has been waiting for. The two historic franchises have met 15 times in the postseason, and this series is set to add another chapter. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, a 2008 NBA champion as an assistant with the Celtics, is at the helm for New York. The team’s standout player is Jalen Brunson, who recently led them with 40 points, including a game-winning three-pointer with 4.3 seconds left in Game 6 against the Pistons. Brunson, the son of Rick Brunson, has been New York’s best player since Patrick Ewing.

Despite their improvements, including offseason additions like Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, the Knicks have struggled against the Celtics. They’ve lost all four matchups this season by an average of 16 points, continuing their inability to get past Boston, which they’ve faced in multiple playoff series since the 1940s. The Celtics are a team the Knicks have never been able to consistently beat, with a famous loss to them in the 1973 conference finals, where the Celtics, led by Dave Cowens, lost in seven games after John Havlicek was injured. That Knicks team went on to win the NBA championship, and it remains their last title.

The rivalry goes deeper—Red Auerbach, the Celtics’ legendary coach, despised the Knicks, stemming from a slight he felt in college when his George Washington team was denied an NIT bid. The Celtics and Knicks haven’t met beyond the first round since their iconic 1984 conference semifinal, where Larry Bird and the Celtics triumphed in a seven-game thriller. The drama, fierce competition, and rich history between these two teams make this series one to remember.