The New York Knicks were unable to seal a victory on Monday night, falling to the Boston Celtics, 96-86. The Knicks controlled the first half of the game, holding the Celtics to just 37 points. But Kevin Garnett helped the Celtics to a six-point deficit at the end of the third quarter. Then in the fourth quarter, Paul Pierce found his scoring touch.
Celtics Vs. Knicks Final Score: Boston Overcomes Early Deficit To Defeat New York, 96-86
Pierce scored 13 of his 21 points in the final quarter, hitting a key three-pointer with just under seven minutes left in the game. The Knicks, up just four points at that point, quickly called a timeout, but it didn’t help too much. They scored just four points in the remaining minutes of the game and surrendered 18 points to the Celtics.
Carmelo Anthony had 17 points in the first half, but then only five points in second half. Late in the fourth quarter, Anthony collided mid-air with Rajon Rondo and received an elbow to the face, putting more blood on the court and a delay in the action. Chauncey Billups added 21 points, and Amare Stoudemire added a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds).
The Celtics overcame poor shooting early on to hit 46.3 percent of their shots, though they were only 1-of-10 from beyond the arc. Garnett finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Rajon Rondo contributed 12 points and 11 assists.
Despite the victory, the Celtics remain tied atop the Eastern Conference standings after Chicago won on Monday, too. The Knicks’ loss evened their record at 35-35.
For Knicks analysis, check out Posting And Toasting and SB Nation New York. For Celtics’ talk, head over to CelticsBlog and SB Nation Boston.
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