Celtics-Knicks Playoff Series To Kick Off Saturday Afternoon At Madison Square Garden

BOSTON (CBS) -- For the Boston Celtics, it's time for the real season to begin.

After putt-putting their way to a 41-40 regular-season record, a stretch that included various ups and downs of apparent effort, the Celtics will now turn up the jets for their first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks.

The series begins Saturday at 3 p.m. in New York, with the C's first home playoff game scheduled for Friday, April 26.

The full first-round schedule is below:

Game 1: Saturday, April 20, 3 p.m. at Madison Square Garden
Game 2: Tuesday, April 23, 8 p.m. at Madison Square Garden
Game 3: Friday, April 26, 8 p.m. at TD Garden
Game 4: Sunday, April 28, 1 p.m. at TD Garden
Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, May 1, Time TBD at Madison Square Garden
Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, May 3, Time TBD at TD Garden
Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, May 5, Time TBD at Madison Square Garden

The Knicks won the season series 3-1 over Boston, most recently with a 108-89 win at Madison Square Garden.

The Celtics last played the Knicks in the postseason in 2011, when they swept New York in four games.