NBA schedule: Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnett meet again on Thursday

Boston Celtics big man Kevin Garnett engaged in an ugly war of words with New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony back on Jan. 7, and on Thursday night the Celtics and Knicks will meet for the first time since that incident.

by Steve von Horn

Jan 24, 2013, 3:00 PM UTC

Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Things could get ugly when the Boston Celtics host the New York Knicks on Thursday night (8 p.m. ET, TNT). In the previous meeting between the two teams on Jan. 7, Kevin Garnett and engaged Carmelo Anthony in a heated verbal altercation that resulted in double technical fouls and an eventual post-game incident where Melo waited for KG by the Celtics' team bus.

Anthony clearly wasn’t himself (6-26 FGs, 20 points) during the game and he wound up with a one-game supension for his post-game antics, while KG the Celtics took home a 102-96 win. Since that game, the Knicks have dropped three of their last five games, while the Celtics have gone 3-4, including four straight losses. Recent trends aside, Melo and the Knicks will undoubtedly be out for revenge on Thursday night at the TD Garden.

In the second game of the TNT doubleheader (10:30 p.m., TNT), the Phoenix Suns will host the Los Angeles Clippers in a matchup between teams on the opposite ends of the Western Conference spectrum. The Clippers (32-11) currently hold the third spot in the Western Conference playoff bracket, while the Suns are tied the New Orleans Hornets for the worst record in the West and they recently parted ways with head coach Alvin Gentry. The Suns are coming fresh off a win over the Kings on Wednesday, while the Clippers have been resting since their loss to the Thunder on Tuesday.

The Orlando Magic host the Toronto Raptors in the only other game of the evening. Here's a full look at the full schedule for Thursday, via SI.com (all times Eastern):

Thursday Schedule
AWAY	HOME	TIME (ET)	NATIONAL TV
Toronto Raptors	Orlando Magic	7:00: p.m.
New York Knicks	Boston Celtics	8:00 p.m.	TNT
L.A. Clippers	Phoenix Suns	10:30 p.m.	TNT