After an excellent first half and a 15-point lead on Monday night, the New York Knicks (35–35) were unable to fend off a fourth-quarter surge by the Boston Celtics (50–19), losing 96–86 at Madison Square Garden.
It was a disappointing loss for the Knickerbockers, who now fall back to the .500 mark with playoff hopes all but gone.
The Celtics conversely have clinched the Atlantic Division top spot and are fighting with the Chicago Bulls for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics clearly wanted the win more on Monday night, and it showed down the stretch where they broke the Knicks in the final minutes and surged ahead by 10 points.
“We just tried to execute,” Glen Davis told NBA TV after the game.
“That’s one of the most important things, making sure we don’t panic, making sure we get the best shot possible, making sure we get the ball in the right players’ hands at the right time.”
Davis, who was quiet in the first half with only two points and four rebounds, finished the game with a respectable eight points and nine rebounds and made some big plays down the stretch.
Paul Pierce came alive in the fourth quarter after scoring just eight points in the first three. The Celtics captain was the driving offensive force that got the Celtics back into the game.
After a close first quarter, the second quarter was all Knicks. They grew a 13-point lead midway through the quarter, enabled in part by a great defensive effort by Ronny Turiaf with two blocked shots and a steal and great scoring by Carmelo Anthony with 10 points. The half finished with the Knicks up 51–37, with Boston’s bench struggling to contribute with just four points.
In the third quarter after the Knicks briefly grew their lead to 15 points early on, the Celtics began to wear away at the Knicks by stepping up their defense and forcing turnovers. The Knicks defense conversely was sluggish.
Ray Allen had to exit the game late in the third quarter with a deep cut above his eyebrow from an inadvertent elbow by Jared Jeffries when the two went for a rebound. But the 3-point champ was all right, and the cut won’t require stitches.
The Celtics cut the Knicks’ lead to six points at the end of the third quarter off a layup from Davis, and then pulled within four points of a jumper from Rajon Rondo at the start of the fourth quarter.
The momentum looked to swing back New York’s way midway through the fourth quarter when Chauncey Billups made a four-point play to pull the Knicks back up by nine points.
But Pierce was right there to answer with his own 3-pointer, and the Celtics would tie the score at 82–82 off an alley-oop pass from Rondo to Kevin Garnett. The Celtics then ran ahead by four points before the Knicks tied it up again.
In a testament to the scrappy play by both teams that ensued, Anthony suffered a cut over his left eye with two minutes left in the game while trying to steal the ball from Rondo. Anthony was shaken up and there was blood, but no foul, and the Celtics were able to convert the play into a basket.
It was all Celtics after that, with Pierce hitting a tough jumper under the one-minute mark to pull the Celtics up by six. The Celtics got an easy layup on the next play to seal the win.
Garnett led the Celtics with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Pierce and Allen contributed 21 points and 15 points, respectively. Rondo had a double-double with 13 points and 12 assists.
Anthony led the Knicks with 22 points, and Billups had a big game with 21 points. Amar’e Stoudemire had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
The Celtics will take it back home against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, and then face the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday.
The Knicks have a tough schedule ahead of them facing the Orlando Magic and Milwaukee Bucks this week, and the Magic again next Monday.
Monday was New York’s third loss in a row; they lost to the Bucks on Sunday and the Detroit Pistons on Friday, both on the road.
It was a disappointing loss for the Knickerbockers, who now fall back to the .500 mark with playoff hopes all but gone.
The Celtics conversely have clinched the Atlantic Division top spot and are fighting with the Chicago Bulls for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics clearly wanted the win more on Monday night, and it showed down the stretch where they broke the Knicks in the final minutes and surged ahead by 10 points.
“We just tried to execute,” Glen Davis told NBA TV after the game.
“That’s one of the most important things, making sure we don’t panic, making sure we get the best shot possible, making sure we get the ball in the right players’ hands at the right time.”
Davis, who was quiet in the first half with only two points and four rebounds, finished the game with a respectable eight points and nine rebounds and made some big plays down the stretch.
Paul Pierce came alive in the fourth quarter after scoring just eight points in the first three. The Celtics captain was the driving offensive force that got the Celtics back into the game.
After a close first quarter, the second quarter was all Knicks. They grew a 13-point lead midway through the quarter, enabled in part by a great defensive effort by Ronny Turiaf with two blocked shots and a steal and great scoring by Carmelo Anthony with 10 points. The half finished with the Knicks up 51–37, with Boston’s bench struggling to contribute with just four points.
In the third quarter after the Knicks briefly grew their lead to 15 points early on, the Celtics began to wear away at the Knicks by stepping up their defense and forcing turnovers. The Knicks defense conversely was sluggish.
Ray Allen had to exit the game late in the third quarter with a deep cut above his eyebrow from an inadvertent elbow by Jared Jeffries when the two went for a rebound. But the 3-point champ was all right, and the cut won’t require stitches.
The Celtics cut the Knicks’ lead to six points at the end of the third quarter off a layup from Davis, and then pulled within four points of a jumper from Rajon Rondo at the start of the fourth quarter.
The momentum looked to swing back New York’s way midway through the fourth quarter when Chauncey Billups made a four-point play to pull the Knicks back up by nine points.
But Pierce was right there to answer with his own 3-pointer, and the Celtics would tie the score at 82–82 off an alley-oop pass from Rondo to Kevin Garnett. The Celtics then ran ahead by four points before the Knicks tied it up again.
In a testament to the scrappy play by both teams that ensued, Anthony suffered a cut over his left eye with two minutes left in the game while trying to steal the ball from Rondo. Anthony was shaken up and there was blood, but no foul, and the Celtics were able to convert the play into a basket.
It was all Celtics after that, with Pierce hitting a tough jumper under the one-minute mark to pull the Celtics up by six. The Celtics got an easy layup on the next play to seal the win.
Garnett led the Celtics with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Pierce and Allen contributed 21 points and 15 points, respectively. Rondo had a double-double with 13 points and 12 assists.
Anthony led the Knicks with 22 points, and Billups had a big game with 21 points. Amar’e Stoudemire had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
The Celtics will take it back home against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, and then face the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday.
The Knicks have a tough schedule ahead of them facing the Orlando Magic and Milwaukee Bucks this week, and the Magic again next Monday.
Monday was New York’s third loss in a row; they lost to the Bucks on Sunday and the Detroit Pistons on Friday, both on the road.
