Knicks-Celtics Preview

By HOWARD ULMAN
Posted Apr 16 2011 8:09PM

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics took big gambles when they shook up their rosters less than two months ago.

They're about to find out which team was the winner.

On Feb. 22, the Carmelo Anthony soap opera ended when he and Chauncey Billups came to the Knicks from the Denver Nuggets, a trade that cost New York three regulars. Two days later, the Celtics obtained Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic from Oklahoma City and gave up starting center Kendrick Perkins, a stout defender and strong physical presence.

The transitions haven't been smooth for either team.

And now they face each other in Sunday night's opener of a best-of-seven Eastern Conference playoff series.

"It was risky for both of us," Boston coach Doc Rivers said Saturday. "Both teams, when they first made the trade, started winning right away and then started losing right after that. It happens all the time."

The Celtics were 41-15 at the time of the deal and 15-11 since then, finishing third in the East at 56-26. The Knicks were 28-26 before their trade and 14-14 after it, ending up at 42-40.

Boston did win its first five games with Green and Krstic and New York went 6-3 immediately after Anthony and Billups arrived.

"When you first make (the trade), everyone's just kind of playing," Rivers said. "Then, all of a sudden, the new system starts kicking in, their old system is still in and you completely lose the rhythm. I'd say both teams did that.

"But now, I think, we've had some time together. These three, four days (of practice) have been tremendous for us. I think we'll both be ready."

The Knicks gave up three of their top four scorers - Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler. But they picked up Anthony to team with Amare Stoudemire as an imposing offensive punch.

And Billups provides the veteran savvy, playoff experience and ability to run a team and score.

"I feel good," Anthony said. "I feel confident in where this team is at, how far this team has come. From Day 1 when I got here up until now we came a long way. And I feel very confident about going into Boston in this series."

Stoudemire was the first piece in the Knicks improvement when they signed him as a free agent in the offseason. He averaged 25.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 78 games. Anthony averaged 26.3 points in his 27 games with New York, which lost its only matchup with the Celtics with him in the lineup, 96-86 after outplaying them for almost 45 minutes.

"Any time you're involved in the playoffs, you get a chance to really assess the team," Stoudemire said. "We feel like we have the right tools right now to make something special happen."

The Knicks finished with their first winning record in 10 seasons and reached the playoffs for just the second time in that span.

The Celtics won their 17th NBA championship in 2008 and lost the NBA finals last year in seven games to the Los Angeles Lakers.

But Boston will be without center Shaquille O'Neal on Sunday and likely longer because of a right calf injury. He tried running before practice on Saturday but stopped when it became too painful.

He missed 27 games with a sore right leg then returned on April 4 but played just 5 minutes, 29 seconds before leaving again with the calf problem. He sat out the remaining six regular season games.

"You want the Big Fella to be healthy," Paul Pierce said. "You want him to be out there to give us a boost, but the guys that are in uniform out there playing, that's all we can worry about right now."

Besides, O'Neal's teammates weren't overly optimistic that he'd be ready.

His absence may not be as damaging since the Knicks aren't extremely physical inside. And the Celtics have Jermaine O'Neal back to add bulk in the middle after he played just 24 games because of knee problems. But he sat out just two of the last eight.

"He's going to be big," Pierce said, "just defensively the way he guards, being able to clog up the middle. We're going to need more than one guy to try to shut down Carmelo, Chauncey and Amare."

Combine their experience and scoring ability and they're a tough trio for the Celtics to handle.

"That's a burden," Rivers said. "Every time you get in a close game with them you know it's extremely dangerous because they've got three guys that can just make shots whether you play good defense or not."

So do the Celtics with Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Point guard Rajon Rondo was inconsistent after the trade but is the driving force behind their offense.

"We always want to get the ball in Rondo's hands and push the ball," Pierce said, "try to use his speed, especially in the open court."

That should be a challenge for the Knicks, a team that allowed the third most points in the NBA, 105.7 per game. Interestingly, Denver allowed 8.1 fewer points per game after trading Anthony and Billups. The Celtics gave up the fewest in the NBA for the season, 91.1.

"When we play teams that are top echelon or top in the rankings, we tend to play better defensively," Stoudemire said. "Hopefully, that rubs off in the series."

Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Celtics beat Knicks 87-85 on Allen's 3-pointer

By HOWARD ULMAN
Posted Apr 18 2011 4:17AM

BOSTON (AP) The New York Knicks must figure out how to finish off games.

Just watch the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics led for just 60 seconds in the second half until Ray Allen sank a go-ahead 3-pointer with 12 seconds left and beat the Knicks 87-85 in their playoff opener on Sunday night.

"Down the stretch we found a way to win," Paul Pierce said, "and that was because of our experience."

The Celtics won their NBA-high 17th championship in 2008 and lost in Game 7 of the finals last year to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Knicks, in the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons, last won a postseason game on Apr. 29, 2001.

"We can compete with them, obviously," New York coach Mike D'Antoni said. "They made big shots at the end. That's why they are who they are."

The Knicks ability to make those clutch shots may have suffered a blow when Chauncey Billups left with 51 seconds remaining with what he said was a strain in his left knee or thigh muscle. He and D'Antoni said they didn't know his status for Game 2 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series on Tuesday night.

"We've got a couple of days and I'll just be treating it as long as I can," he said. "If I can get out there and help any, I'll be out there."

If he's not, Toney Douglas likely will start in his place.

On Sunday, it was Douglas who hit a 3-pointer with 39 seconds left that put the Knicks ahead 85-82. But after a timeout, the Celtics scored just one second later on an alley-oop pass from Rajon Rondo - who had 10 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists - to Kevin Garnett.

"We just didn't communicate real well on that," D'Antoni said.

New York led 85-84 before Carmelo Anthony was called for an offensive foul for pushing Pierce with 21 seconds remaining.

"What I thought and what they called were two different things," Anthony said.

Boston coach Doc Rivers disagreed.

"Heck of a call to make," he said, "but it was the right call."

Rondo then lined up to inbound the ball but called timeout. The next time, Allen inbounded from just in front of the half-court line on the right side. He threw the ball to Pierce, then circled to the other side of the court, caught Pierce's pass and fired up the deciding basket.

"We've run that play many times," Allen said. "It's a play that has so many options and tonight I was just the option."

Pierce's pass set it up. His defense also shut down Anthony, who scored just 15 points and missed 10 of 11 shots in the second half, including a 3-pointer with 2 seconds to go. Anthony or Amare Stoudemire usually takes the shot with the game on the line, but Kevin Garnett guarded Stoudemire much tighter in the last few minutes.

"We've got to find a way to win down the stretch," Stoudemire said. "We had a great chance to win. We played well throughout the full 48 minutes. We just didn't quite close it out."

New York had the same problem against Boston on Dec. 15, when Pierce hit a jumper with .4 seconds left to put the Celtics ahead 118-116 at Madison Square Garden. Stoudemire then sank a 3-pointer, but it was waved off after officials determined that time had run out.

On Sunday, Stoudemire had 28 points and 11 rebounds for New York.

Allen led the Celtics with 24 points, Pierce added 18 and Garnett had 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Third-seeded Boston got a tough challenge from the sixth-seeded Knicks, who allowed 105.7 points per game during the regular season, third-most in the league.

"I'd like our offense to be better," Rivers said, "but the only way it will be is with (defensive) stops."

They didn't need a stop to set Allen up for the winning basket.

"Ray's the hero with the shot," Rivers said. "Paul's the hero with the pass. That's a great example of not playing hero basketball, just trusting what we drew up. And he made the shot."

And, with a chance to win the game, Anthony missed.

"We're very confident," he said. "We're a team that is going to look at this game and build off of it."

NOTES: During a timeout late in the second quarter, the crowd cheered when New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was shown on the video scoreboard. He laughed and tipped his cap. But when the camera shifted to a spectator wearing a No. 1 Knicks jersey in the row behind him, the fans booed. ... The Knicks have lost their last three playoff series since beating the Miami Heat in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2000. ... The Celtics are expected to be without center Shaquille O'Neal for Game 2. He missed the last six regular-season games and the playoff opener with a sore right calf.

Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Knicks-Celtics notebook

By Brian Robb, for NBA.com
Posted Monday April 18, 2011 12:00AM

THE FACTS: Ray Allen hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining, as the Boston Celtics survived a frantic finish to defeat the New York Knicks 87-85 and take a 1-0 series lead. Allen scored 18 of his team-high 24 points during the second half of the win, as Boston fought back from a 12-point halftime deficit for the gritty comeback victory. The Knicks had a chance to respond in the final seconds, but Carmelo Anthony missed a 3-point attempt as time expired. Amar'e Stoudemire was the bright spot for New York in the defeat, as he showed no lingering effects from his sprained ankle while pouring in a game-high 28 points along with 11 rebounds.

QUOTABLE: "It's a play that has so many options, and tonight I was just the option. If I could think of every shot I hit to win a game in a Celtic uniform, Paul [Pierce] has probably been the guy who has passed it to me every time."
-Allen on the game-winning sequence.

THE STAT: On an off-shooting night, Boston hit the offensive glass uncharacteristically hard. The C's grabbed 15 offensive rebounds overall, a season-high mark for them this year during a contest. The extra opportunities led to 19 crucial second-chance points.

TURNING POINT: Before Allen's clutch trey, the Knicks had a chance to put the game away with the ball and a two-point lead with 20 seconds remaining. As Anthony battled with Pierce for position on the wing though, he was whistled for an offensive foul, which opened the door for Boston on their ensuing possession.

QUOTABLE II: "I just thought defensively we joined the playoffs in the second half."
-Boston coach Doc Rivers

HOT: Stoudemire -- The All-Star power forward lived up to expectations in his first playoff game in the Eastern Conference. Stoudemire scored 12 of New York's 21 points in the final frame, going six-of-seven from the field to keep the Knicks in the game late.

NOT: Anthony -- New York's prized midseason pick-up struggled mightily in the second half against Boston's vaunted defense. The former Nugget missed 10 of his 11 shots after halftime, and tallied just three of his 15 points over the final 24 minutes, as the Knicks could only muster 34 second-half points overall.

QUOTABLE III: "We knew that coming into this series, it's been like this every game between these teams this year. We did play extremely hard but we have to find a way to win down the stretch."
-Stoudemire

GOOD MOVE: With six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Rivers decided to bring in Jermaine O'Neal in place of Glen Davis to close out the game at the center position. Davis had earned the majority of the crunch-time minutes during the regular season for the Celtics, but O'Neal's stellar effort on both ends of the floor (12 points, five blocks) proved to be extremely valuable for Boston down the stretch.

INSIDE THE ARENA: New England Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick took in the playoff showdown from courtside seats at the TD Garden.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Rajon Rondo -- The Celtics' point guard flirted with a triple-double after bouncing back from a subpar first half. Rondo finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists overall and just one turnover in 43 minutes of action.

ROOKIE WATCH: Landry Fields -- The Stanford product had a tough time of it in his postseason debut, going scoreless from the field and grabbing just one rebound in 19 minutes.

NOTABLE: Chauncey Billups suffered a sprained left knee on a drive to the basket with under a minute remaining in the game. The point guard did not return to the contest, and was "unsure" whether he would be able to suit up Game 2 Tuesday night. The Knicks shot just 32.6 percent (14-of-43) in the second half. Kevin Garnett missed the majority of his shots (5-of-14) but still chipped in with a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds. New York's bench outscored Boston's by a 23-8 margin. The Celtics limited the Knicks, who are one of the best transition teams in the league, to just two fast break points. Defense in that facet of the game was one of Rivers' key points of emphasis during the pregame. Shaquille O'Neal did not play for Boston due to a strained right calf. Rivers said there was an outside chance Shaq could play in Game 2, but it wasn't likely. Despite O'Neal absence in the middle, Boston still outrebounded New York 44-34 overall. Jared Jeffries had nine rebounds in just 18 minutes off the bench for the Knicks.

UP NEXT: Game 2, Tuesday 7:00 P.M. @ Boston.

• Knicks: Balkman, Brown, Rautins
• Celtics: Arroyo, Bradley, O'Neal

• Knicks: --
• Celtics: --

• Lead Changes: 9
• Times Tied: 14

• Arena: TD Garden, Boston, MA
• Officials: #13 Monty McCutchen, #49 Tom Washington, #23 Jason Phillips
• Attendance: 18624
• Duration: 2:27

New York Knicks (42-41)		Boston Celtics (57-26)
Start of 1st Quarter
(12:00) Jump Ball O'Neal vs Stoudemire (Rondo gains possession)
	11:34	Garnett Jump Shot: Missed
	11:34	Pierce Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)
	11:34	Team Turnover : Shot Clock Turnover
Stoudemire Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Anthony (1 AST)	11:22 [NYK 2-0]
	10:58	Pierce Jump Shot: Missed
	10:56	Team Rebound
Anthony Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	10:45
	10:45 [BOS 1-2]	Garnett Free Throw 1 of 2 (1 PTS)
	10:45 [BOS 2-2]	Garnett Free Throw 2 of 2 (2 PTS)
Stoudemire Layup Shot: Missed Block: O'Neal (1 BLK)	10:33
Team Rebound	10:32
Anthony Foul : Offensive (2 PF)	10:32
Anthony Turnover : Foul (1 TO)	10:32
Anthony Substitution replaced by Walker	10:32
	10:16 [BOS 4-2]	Rondo Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS)
Stoudemire Jump Shot: Missed	10:00
	09:59	Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	09:51 [BOS 6-2]	O'Neal Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Pierce (1 AST)
Billups 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS)	09:38 [NYK 5-6]
	09:17	Garnett Jump Shot: Missed
Billups Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	09:16
Stoudemire Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO)	09:02
	08:43	Rondo Jump Shot: Missed
Stoudemire Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	08:42
	08:33	O'Neal Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
Turiaf Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	08:33
Team Rebound	08:33
Turiaf Free Throw 2 of 2 (1 PTS)	08:33 [NYK 6-6]
	08:19 [BOS 8-6]	Garnett Jump Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Pierce (2 AST)
Walker 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Stoudemire (1 AST)	08:03 [NYK 9-8]
	07:36	Team Turnover : Shot Clock Turnover
	07:25	O'Neal Foul : Shooting Block (2 PF)
Stoudemire Free Throw 1 of 2 (3 PTS)	07:25 [NYK 10-8]
	07:25	O'Neal Substitution replaced by Davis
Stoudemire Free Throw 2 of 2 (4 PTS)	07:25 [NYK 11-8]
	07:11	Davis Jump Shot: Missed
	07:08	Team Rebound
	06:56	Pierce Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Stoudemire (1 ST)
Billups Jump Shot: Missed	06:50
	06:48	Pierce Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	06:35	Davis Layup Shot: Missed Block: Turiaf (1 BLK)
	06:33	Davis Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)
	06:29 [BOS 11-11]	Pierce 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Garnett (1 AST)
Walker Finger Roll Layup Shot: Made (5 PTS)	06:07 [NYK 13-11]
	05:52	Rondo Layup Shot: Missed
Stoudemire Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	05:51
Billups Jump Shot: Missed	05:44
	05:43	Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	05:37 [BOS 13-13]	Rondo Driving Reverse Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS)
Billups Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Davis (1 ST)	05:19
	05:10 [BOS 16-13]	Pierce 3pt Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Allen (1 AST)
Team Timeout : Regular	05:09
Fields Substitution replaced by Jeffries	05:09
Turiaf Substitution replaced by Douglas	05:09
	05:09	Allen Substitution replaced by Green
Walker Layup Shot: Missed	04:54
Walker Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)	04:53
Walker Layup Shot: Made (7 PTS)	04:52 [NYK 15-16]
	04:32 [BOS 18-15]	Green Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Rondo (1 AST)
Billups Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Garnett (1 ST)	04:27
	04:22	Rondo Layup Shot: Missed Block: Jeffries (1 BLK)
	04:19	Garnett Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	04:05	Garnett Turnaround Hook Shot: Missed
Team Rebound	04:04
Douglas Jump Shot: Missed	03:45
Stoudemire Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)	03:44
Douglas 3pt Shot: Missed	03:38
	03:37	Garnett Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)
Walker Violation:Defensive Goaltending	03:32
	03:32 [BOS 20-15]	Rondo Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS)
Walker Jump Shot: Missed	03:19
Jeffries Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)	03:17
Jeffries Tip Shot: Missed	03:17
	03:16	Davis Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
Walker Foul : Personal (1 PF)	03:16
	03:16	Garnett Substitution replaced by West
	02:53	Davis Jump Shot: Missed
Billups Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	02:52
	02:42	Team Timeout : Regular
Billups Substitution replaced by Carter	02:42
Stoudemire Layup Shot: Missed	02:29
Carter Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)	02:27
Carter Tip Shot: Made (2 PTS)	02:27 [NYK 17-20]
Stoudemire Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	01:58
	01:58	Davis Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed
	01:58	Team Rebound
	01:58	Davis Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
Jeffries Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)	01:58
	01:44	West Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
Jeffries Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	01:44
Team Rebound	01:44
	01:44	Rondo Substitution replaced by Krstic
Jeffries Free Throw 2 of 2 (1 PTS)	01:44 [NYK 18-20]
	01:20 [BOS 22-18]	Pierce Jump Shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: West (1 AST)
Stoudemire Turnover : 3 Second Violation (2 TO)	01:03
	00:46.3	Pierce Foul : Offensive Charge (1 PF)
	00:46.3	Pierce Turnover : Foul (2 TO)
Douglas 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Jeffries (1 AST)	00:36.9 [NYK 21-22]
	00:19.1 [BOS 24-21]	Davis Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS)
Stoudemire Jump Hook Shot: Made (6 PTS)	00:02.9 [NYK 23-24]
	00:00.0	Green 3pt Shot: Missed
	00:00.0	Team Rebound
End of 1st Quarter
New York Knicks (42-41)		Boston Celtics (57-26)
Start of 2nd QuarterBack to Top
Jeffries Layup Shot: Missed Block: Green (1 BLK)	11:41
	11:41	Team Rebound
	11:41	Jump Ball Green vs Jeffries (Davis gains possession)
	11:16 [BOS 26-23]	Allen Floating Jump shot: Made (2 PTS)
Anthony 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Carter (1 AST)	11:05 [NYK 26-26]
	10:44	Green Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Anthony (1 ST)
Anthony Fade Away Jumper Shot: Missed	10:23
Team Rebound	10:23
	10:23	West Foul : Loose Ball (2 PF)
Carter Layup Shot: Missed	10:16
	10:15	Krstic Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	09:51	Davis Jump Shot: Missed
	09:50	Krstic Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	09:47 [BOS 28-26]	Allen Jump Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Krstic (1 AST)
Douglas 3pt Shot: Missed	09:30
	09:29	Davis Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	09:15	Krstic Jump Shot: Missed
Jeffries Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)	09:14
Douglas Layup Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: Carter (2 AST)	09:03 [NYK 28-28]
Williams Foul : Shooting Block (1 PF)	08:49
	08:49
	08:49	Krstic Substitution replaced by Garnett
	08:49	West Substitution replaced by Rondo
	08:49 [BOS 29-28]	Allen Free Throw 1 of 2 (5 PTS)
	08:49 [BOS 30-28]	Allen Free Throw 2 of 2 (6 PTS)
Anthony Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO)	08:32
Jeffries Substitution replaced by Turiaf	08:32
	08:10	Garnett Jump Shot: Missed
	08:09	Allen Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)
	08:01	Allen Turnover : Traveling (1 TO)
	07:51	Green Foul : Personal (1 PF)
Douglas Substitution replaced by Billups	07:51
Carter Substitution replaced by Fields	07:51
	07:51	Green Substitution replaced by Pierce
Anthony Jump Shot: Made (5 PTS)	07:42 [NYK 30-30]
	07:25	Jump Ball Davis vs Turiaf (Pierce gains possession)
	07:16	Rondo Jump Shot: Missed Block: Turiaf (2 BLK)
Anthony Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	07:14
Anthony Turnover : Lost Ball (3 TO) Steal:Garnett (2 ST)	07:12
	07:03	Davis Jump Shot: Missed
	07:02	Rondo Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)
	06:59	Rondo Layup Shot: Missed
Team Rebound	06:59
	06:59	Davis Substitution replaced by O'Neal
Anthony Jump Shot: Made (7 PTS) Assist: Turiaf (1 AST)	06:40 [NYK 32-30]
	06:21	Garnett Turnover : 3 Second Violation (1 TO)
Turiaf Layup Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Billups (1 AST)	06:07 [NYK 34-30]
Williams Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	05:48
	05:48	Team Timeout : Regular
Williams Substitution replaced by Stoudemire	05:48
	05:48	Pierce Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed
	05:48	Team Rebound
	05:48 [BOS 31-34]	Pierce Free Throw 2 of 2 (9 PTS)
Anthony 3pt Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Billups (2 AST)	05:36 [NYK 37-31]
	05:20 [BOS 33-37]	Garnett Jump Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Rondo (2 AST)
Billups Step Back Jump shot: Made (5 PTS)	05:02 [NYK 39-33]
	04:37 [BOS 35-39]	O'Neal Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Pierce (3 AST)
Turiaf Layup Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: Stoudemire (2 AST)	04:19 [NYK 41-35]
	03:54 [BOS 37-41]	Rondo Jump Shot: Made (8 PTS)
Anthony 3pt Shot: Missed	03:42
	03:41	O'Neal Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	03:32	Garnett Foul : Offensive (1 PF)
	03:32	Garnett Turnover : Foul (2 TO)
Stoudemire Jump Shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: Billups (3 AST)	03:22 [NYK 43-37]
	03:02	Allen Jump Shot: Missed
	03:01	Garnett Rebound (Off:2 Def:3)
	02:57	Pierce 3pt Shot: Missed
	02:56	Garnett Rebound (Off:3 Def:3)
	02:45	Garnett Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO) Steal:Anthony (2 ST)
Stoudemire Jump Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Anthony (2 AST)	02:31 [NYK 45-37]
	02:23	Team Timeout : Short
Team Timeout : Regular	02:23
	02:11 [BOS 39-45]	Rondo Jump Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Garnett (2 AST)
	01:52	Pierce Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
	01:52	O'Neal Substitution replaced by Davis
Anthony Free Throw 1 of 2 (11 PTS)	01:52 [NYK 46-39]
Anthony Free Throw 2 of 2 (12 PTS)	01:52 [NYK 47-39]
	01:41	Garnett Layup Shot: Missed Block: Turiaf (3 BLK)
	01:39	Team Rebound
	01:23	Davis Turnover : 3 Second Violation (1 TO)
Anthony Pullup Jump shot: Missed	01:02
	01:01	Garnett Rebound (Off:3 Def:4)
Anthony Substitution replaced by Walker	00:53.0
	00:51.9	Pierce Layup Shot: Missed
Turiaf Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	00:50.4
Stoudemire Driving Dunk Shot: Made (12 PTS)	00:34.7 [NYK 49-39]
	00:17.9	Pierce Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed
Stoudemire Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)	00:16.8
	00:02.6	Garnett Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Billups Free Throw 1 of 2 (6 PTS)	00:02.6 [NYK 50-39]
Billups Free Throw 2 of 2 (7 PTS)	00:02.6 [NYK 51-39]
Billups Foul : Personal (1 PF)	00:01.5
	00:00.0	Garnett Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed
	00:00.0	Team Rebound
End of 2nd Quarter
New York Knicks (42-41)		Boston Celtics (57-26)
Start of 3rd QuarterBack to Top
	11:52	Pierce Foul : Personal (3 PF)
Fields Running Jump Shot: Missed	11:41
Fields Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)	11:40
Fields Layup Shot: Missed	11:37
	11:36	Allen Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	11:23 [BOS 41-51]	Allen Driving Layup Shot: Made (8 PTS)
Anthony 3pt Shot: Missed	10:56
	10:55	Rondo Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	10:44	O'Neal Turnover : Out of Bounds Lost Ball Turnover (1 TO)
	10:26	O'Neal Foul : Shooting (3 PF)
Stoudemire Free Throw 1 of 2 (13 PTS)	10:26 [NYK 52-41]
Stoudemire Free Throw 2 of 2 (14 PTS)	10:26 [NYK 53-41]
	10:16	Rondo Jump Shot: Missed
Stoudemire Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)	10:15
Fields Jump Shot: Missed	10:02
	10:01	Allen Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	09:55	Allen Layup Shot: Missed
	09:53	Garnett Rebound (Off:4 Def:4)
	09:53 [BOS 43-53]	Garnett Tip Shot: Made (8 PTS)
Billups Jump Shot: Missed	09:39
	09:37	Garnett Rebound (Off:4 Def:5)
Billups Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	09:34
	09:34	Rondo Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed
	09:34	Team Rebound
	09:34	Rondo Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
	09:33	O'Neal Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	09:29	Garnett Layup Shot: Missed
	09:28	Team Rebound
	09:14	Rondo Layup Shot: Missed Block: Turiaf (4 BLK)
Turiaf Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	09:13
Billups 3pt Shot: Missed	09:09
Anthony Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)	09:07
Anthony Putback Layup Shot: Made (14 PTS)	09:04 [NYK 55-43]
	08:42	Pierce Layup Shot: Missed
	08:40	O'Neal Rebound (Off:2 Def:1)
	08:38 [BOS 45-55]	O'Neal Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS)
Billups 3pt Shot: Missed	08:16
	08:15	Allen Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)
	08:04	Pierce 3pt Shot: Missed
Turiaf Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	08:03
Anthony Layup Shot: Missed Block: O'Neal (2 BLK)	07:50
	07:48	Pierce Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	07:40 [BOS 47-55]	O'Neal Jump Shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: Rondo (3 AST)
Team Timeout : Regular	07:40
Fields Substitution replaced by Walker	07:40
Billups Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO)	07:32
	07:12	Pierce 3pt Shot: Missed
	07:10	Garnett Rebound (Off:5 Def:5)
	07:05 [BOS 49-55]	O'Neal Jump Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Rondo (4 AST)
Anthony Layup Shot: Missed Block: O'Neal (3 BLK)	06:47
	06:46	Rondo Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	06:32	Allen Jump Shot: Missed
Stoudemire Rebound (Off:1 Def:5)	06:31
Stoudemire Jump Shot: Made (16 PTS) Assist: Billups (4 AST)	06:16 [NYK 57-49]
Walker Foul : Personal (2 PF)	06:04
Anthony Foul : Shooting (3 PF)	05:53
	05:53 [BOS 50-57]	Garnett Free Throw 1 of 2 (9 PTS)
	05:53 [BOS 51-57]	Garnett Free Throw 2 of 2 (10 PTS)
Stoudemire Jump Shot: Missed	05:38
	05:37	Rondo Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)
	05:24	Garnett Layup Shot: Missed Block: Stoudemire (1 BLK)
Stoudemire Rebound (Off:1 Def:6)	05:23
Turiaf Layup Shot: Made (7 PTS)	05:14 [NYK 59-51]
	04:57	Allen 3pt Shot: Missed
Turiaf Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	04:56
Walker Foul : Offensive Charge (3 PF)	04:42
Walker Turnover : Foul (1 TO)	04:42
	04:42	O'Neal Substitution replaced by Davis
Walker Substitution replaced by Douglas	04:42
	04:26 [BOS 54-59]	Allen 3pt Shot: Made (11 PTS) Assist: Garnett (3 AST)
Douglas Layup Shot: Missed	04:00
	03:58	Davis Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)
	03:53 [BOS 56-59]	Allen Driving Layup Shot: Made (13 PTS) Assist: Rondo (5 AST)
Team Timeout : Regular	03:52
Turiaf Substitution replaced by Jeffries	03:52
Stoudemire Jump Shot: Missed	03:29
	03:28	Garnett Rebound (Off:5 Def:6)
Stoudemire Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	03:09
Stoudemire Substitution replaced by Williams	03:09
	03:09 [BOS 57-59]	Garnett Free Throw 1 of 2 (11 PTS)
	03:09	Garnett Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
Anthony Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)	03:09
Billups 3pt Shot: Missed	02:54
Team Rebound	02:52
	02:52	Davis Foul : Loose Ball (1 PF)
	02:52	Garnett Substitution replaced by Green
Billups Substitution replaced by Carter	02:52
Anthony Jump Shot: Missed	02:44
	02:43	Allen Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)
	02:29	Allen Turnover : Lost Ball (2 TO) Steal:Jeffries (1 ST)
Anthony Layup Shot: Missed	02:24
Jeffries Rebound (Off:2 Def:2)	02:23
Jeffries Tip Shot: Made (3 PTS)	02:23 [NYK 61-57]
	01:52	Rondo 3pt Shot: Missed
Jeffries Rebound (Off:2 Def:3)	01:51
Anthony Layup Shot: Missed	01:36
Jeffries Rebound (Off:3 Def:3)	01:32
Jeffries Tip Shot: Missed	01:32
	01:31	Pierce Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)
	01:26 [BOS 59-61]	Pierce Driving Layup Shot: Made (11 PTS) Assist: Rondo (6 AST)
Williams 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Douglas (1 AST)	01:07 [NYK 64-59]
	01:07	Team Timeout : Regular
	01:07	Allen Substitution replaced by West
	00:55.9	Pierce Jump Shot: Missed
	00:54.9	Rondo Rebound (Off:2 Def:3)
	00:48.9	Pierce Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO) Steal:Carter (1 ST)
Carter Layup Shot: Missed	00:38.9
Jeffries Rebound (Off:4 Def:3)	00:37.8
Anthony 3pt Shot: Missed	00:35.8
	00:34.7	West Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	00:20.5	Pierce Jump Shot: Missed Block: Williams (1 BLK)
	00:20.5	Team Rebound
	00:19.7	West Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO)
Williams 3pt Shot: Missed	00:02.9
	00:01.7	Davis Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)
	00:00.0	Davis 3pt Shot: Missed
	00:00.0	Team Rebound
End of 3rd Quarter
New York Knicks (42-41)		Boston Celtics (57-26)
Start of 4th QuarterBack to Top
	11:41	West Fade Away Jumper Shot: Missed Block: Carter (1 BLK)
Stoudemire Rebound (Off:1 Def:7)	11:41
Stoudemire Fade Away Jumper Shot: Missed	11:23
	11:22	Rondo Rebound (Off:2 Def:4)
	11:09 [BOS 62-64]	Allen 3pt Shot: Made (16 PTS) Assist: Rondo (7 AST)
Douglas 3pt Shot: Missed	10:49
Jeffries Rebound (Off:5 Def:3)	10:48
Walker Turnover : Traveling (2 TO)	10:37
	10:25	Allen 3pt Shot: Missed
Team Rebound	10:24
	10:01	Davis Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Stoudemire Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	10:01
Team Rebound	10:01
Stoudemire Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed	10:01
	10:00	Rondo Rebound (Off:2 Def:5)
	09:45 [BOS 64-64]	West Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS)
Carter 3pt Shot: Missed	09:19
	09:17	Rondo Rebound (Off:2 Def:6)
	09:05 [BOS 66-64]	Green Jump Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: West (2 AST)
Team Timeout : Regular	09:04
Walker Substitution replaced by Anthony	09:04
Carter Substitution replaced by Billups	09:04
Stoudemire Jump Shot: Made (18 PTS) Assist: Douglas (2 AST)	08:51 [NYK 66-66]
	08:32	Green Jump Shot: Missed
	08:31	Rondo Rebound (Off:3 Def:6)
	08:08 [BOS 68-66]	Allen Jump Shot: Made (18 PTS)
Billups 3pt Shot: Missed	07:47
Stoudemire Rebound (Off:2 Def:7)	07:46
Stoudemire Layup Shot: Made (20 PTS)	07:44 [NYK 68-68]
	07:30	Davis Illegal Screen Turnover : (2 TO)
	07:30	Green Substitution replaced by Pierce
	07:30	West Substitution replaced by Garnett
Stoudemire Turnover : Lost Ball (3 TO) Steal:Garnett (3 ST)	07:20
	07:08	Davis Jump Shot: Missed
Jeffries Rebound (Off:5 Def:4)	07:05
Stoudemire Dunk Shot: Made (22 PTS) Assist: Anthony (3 AST)	06:57 [NYK 70-68]
	06:36 [BOS 70-70]	Garnett Layup Shot: Made (13 PTS)
Stoudemire Jump Shot: Made (24 PTS)	06:15 [NYK 72-70]
Anthony Foul : Shooting (4 PF)	05:55
	05:55
	05:55	Davis Substitution replaced by O'Neal
Jeffries Substitution replaced by Turiaf	05:55
	05:55 [BOS 71-72]	Pierce Free Throw 1 of 3 (12 PTS)
	05:55 [BOS 72-72]	Pierce Free Throw 2 of 3 (13 PTS)
	05:55 [BOS 73-72]	Pierce Free Throw 3 of 3 (14 PTS)
Turiaf Layup Shot: Made (9 PTS)	05:33 [NYK 74-73]
	05:15	Garnett Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed
Stoudemire Rebound (Off:2 Def:8)	05:14
	05:06	O'Neal Foul : Shooting (4 PF)
Anthony Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	05:06
Team Rebound	05:06
Anthony Free Throw 2 of 2 (15 PTS)	05:06 [NYK 75-73]
	04:47	Rondo Jump Shot: Missed
	04:46	Team Rebound
Douglas Foul : Personal (1 PF)	04:46
	04:40 [BOS 75-75]	Pierce Jump Shot: Made (16 PTS)
Billups 3pt Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Anthony (4 AST)	04:15 [NYK 78-75]
	03:56	O'Neal Foul : Offensive (5 PF)
	03:56	O'Neal Turnover : Foul (2 TO)
Stoudemire Reverse Layup Shot: Made (26 PTS)	03:37 [NYK 80-75]
	03:23 [BOS 77-80]	Allen Layup Shot: Made (20 PTS) Assist: Rondo (8 AST)
Douglas Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	03:23
	03:23 [BOS 78-80]	Allen Free Throw 1 of 1 (21 PTS)
Anthony 3pt Shot: Missed	03:08
	03:07	Allen Rebound (Off:1 Def:5)
	03:03	Pierce Turnover : Traveling (4 TO)
Stoudemire Driving Dunk Shot: Made (28 PTS)	02:47 [NYK 82-78]
	02:32	Allen Layup Shot: Missed Block: Stoudemire (2 BLK)
Stoudemire Rebound (Off:2 Def:9)	02:30
Stoudemire Foul : Offensive Charge (3 PF)	02:16
Stoudemire Turnover : Foul (4 TO)	02:16
	02:16	Team Timeout : Regular
	02:05 [BOS 80-82]	Pierce Fade Away Jumper Shot: Made (18 PTS)
Turiaf Layup Shot: Missed Block: O'Neal (4 BLK)	01:46
Anthony Rebound (Off:2 Def:2)	01:44
Anthony Turnover : Lost Ball (4 TO) Steal:Pierce (1 ST)	01:31
	01:15	Pierce Jump Shot: Missed
	01:14	O'Neal Rebound (Off:3 Def:1)
	01:13 [BOS 82-82]	O'Neal Layup Shot: Made (12 PTS)
Billups Driving Layup Shot: Missed	00:59.9
Turiaf Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)	00:58.5
Anthony 3pt Shot: Missed	00:55.9
	00:54.9	Garnett Rebound (Off:5 Def:7)
	00:50.7	Rondo Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO)
Team Timeout : Short	00:50.7
Billups Substitution replaced by Carter	00:50.7
Douglas 3pt Shot: Made (8 PTS)	00:37.8 [NYK 85-82]
	00:37.8	Team Timeout : Regular
Douglas Substitution replaced by Jeffries	00:37.8
	00:37.8	O'Neal Substitution replaced by Davis
	00:37.3 [BOS 84-85]	Garnett Alley Oop Dunk Shot: Made (15 PTS) Assist: Rondo (9 AST)
Team Timeout : Regular	00:37.3
	00:37.3	Davis Substitution replaced by O'Neal
Jeffries Substitution replaced by Douglas	00:37.3
Anthony Foul : Offensive (5 PF)	00:21.0
Anthony Turnover : Foul (5 TO)	00:21.0
	00:21.0	Team Timeout : Short
Douglas Substitution replaced by Jeffries	00:21.0
	00:21.0	O'Neal Substitution replaced by Davis
	00:21.0	Team Timeout : Short
Jeffries Violation:Kicked Ball	00:21.0
	00:11.6 [BOS 87-85]	Allen 3pt Shot: Made (24 PTS) Assist: Pierce (4 AST)
Anthony 3pt Shot: Missed	00:01.9
	00:00.9	Garnett Rebound (Off:5 Def:8)
End of 4th Quarter

broadcast information
country		channel			time
usa			TNT	National	7:00 pm ET
		--	MSG	Local	7:00 pm ET
		--	CSN-NE	Local	7:00 pm ET
canada		--	SNET1	national	7:00 pm ET