Knicks Show Celtics Who Owns The Garden
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There was no place like home on Monday night for the New York Knicks, as they turned the tide from a pair of road losses and defeated the Boston Celtics in a 94-87 thriller at Madison Square Garden.
Coming off two tough losses on the road against the Celtics last Wednesday and the Nets on Thursday, the Knicks rode superlative guard play to the rousing home victory.
The Knicks built up a 55-46 lead at the half behind the stellar play of Zach Randolph, Stephon Marbury and Nate Robinson and never looked back.
Against the Celtics five nights earlier, the Knicks had been overwhelmed by "The Boston Three-Party" of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Monday night was a completely different story, as the Knicks came up with more energy and effort on the court. They solved both major problems from the previous week -- moving without the ball more effectively at the offensive end and displaying the energy and hustle that marked almost every Knicks effort in the latter part of last season.
Both teams came out like offensive juggernauts in the first quarter, which ended with the Knicks up 29-28. Offensively, the Knicks were clicking on all cylinders, but their defense needed to get in gear, and Knicks President, Basketball Operations, and Head Coach Isiah Thomas brought his team into the second half with clear focus on defensive intensity.
By jumping the passing lanes, practicing outstanding ball-denial and getting a hand up on every shot, the Knicks held the Celtics without a field goal for more than the first four minutes of the second quarter.
Stopping Boston's big three all at once might be impossible, but the Knicks managed to minimize their damage. Garnett, Pierce and Allen had combined for 33 of Boston's 58 points at the half and finished with 58 of the Celtics' 87 for the game.
Boston's Paul Pierce was particularly impressive, as the Knicks just could not find a way to stop him. Through an array of inside moves, mid-range jumpers and long-distance shots, as well as excellent work on the boards, hetook over the game at times. Nevertheless, the Celtics just could not get enough from the other members of the team; nor could Boston overcome New York's energy.
Guard play was a big story for the Knicks. Captain Stephon Marbury was in top form, getting the rim seemingly at will. Whether he made the basket or drew the foul, Marbury had his hand in almost every play while on the court. His patented move of speeding to the basket, putting his shoulder down and forcing his way to the hoop had to bring smiles to the faces of Knicks fans.
Earlier in the season, Thomas told his players that he wanted them "attacking the basket every time". And Marbury clearly took those words to heart on Monday. He finished with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Marbury was not the only Knicks guard to shine on Monday, as Nate Robinson turned in a stellar performance as well. Known for his passion, which can sometimes lead to wild play, the diminutive guard played within himself on Monday and, at times, looked like the best player on the court.
Using his extraordinary speed to blow by screens and his vision to find open looks for his big men down low, Robinson had an exceptional game with 20 points, four assists and a startling nine rebounds. He did it all -- hitting big threes and finding teammates for great looks inside. Robinson would have enjoyed even more assists on Monday had the Celtics not fouled the recipients of his passes rather than allowing them to get the open shot Nate had created.
| THE TURNING POINT
Coming out of the first-quarter-break, the Knicks tightened their defense dramatically and went on a 16-2 run to start the second period. The home team scored in a variety of ways, but most significantly, they did not allow the Celtics to make a field goal until 7:59 remained in the half. Robinson started the run with a running jumper followed by a driving layup. That was followed by two Marbury free-throws, a hard dunk by Malik Rose off a pretty Robinson feed and then a Jared Jeffries reverse lay-up. Robinson, who assisted on Jeffries' basket, then hit a bank-shot which was followed by a another Jeffries lay-up. Finally, David Leethrew in a nice lay-up off yet another dish from Robinson to complete the run, giving the Knicks a 45-30 advantage and a lead they would never surrender. |
The big men were also big factors on Monday. Eddy Curry battled foul trouble, only playing 17 minutes. But in the time he played, Curry showed quick feet, dancing around the nimble Garnett for buckets. He did a great job of getting the rock and going right into his shot, getting the ball up before the inevitable double-team collapsed on him.
With Curry out, much of the load fell to Zach Randolph, who chipped in 20 points and grabbed six rebounds. Knicks fans saw an interesting aspect of Randolph's game as he used his excellent touch from outside to his advantage, utilizing a pump-fake to get his defender in the air so he could drive for an inside basket. He kept his defender, often Garnett, honest by hitting several jumpers and showed the Celtics just how tough he is to guard.
Forward David Lee, clearly ready for the new season, was also a force on Monday. He shot over 50 percent from the field and contributed the Knicks' only double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds, including an impressive six offensive boards.
With the NBA's regular season quickly approaching, both teams exhibited a markedly higher intensity level on the court than the tone of their previous meeting in Boston. Given the "high-stakes" nature of the game, the Knicks not only gave their home fans a win but also laid the foundation for the kind of effort needed to begin the season on a winning note.
Isiah Thomas:
On David Lee and Nate Robinson…
“David (Lee) and Nate (Robinson) have played together now for two years. I think they got a good feel for each other. Nate’s scoring was a big plus. His rebounding was a huge plus tonight. He picked up a lot of loose balls around the basket. You kind of know what you’re going to get from David, night in and night out, on the rebounding.”
On the Knicks…
“We’re a physical team and we put the ball inside. The way we win basketball games is we rebound the basketball and we get to the foul line.”
On Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett…
“They made some shots our guys challenged, but normally with those guys: (Ray)_ Allen, (Paul) Pierce, and (Kevin) Garnett, no matter how hard you challenge, they’re good enough to make shots.”
Jamal Crawford:
On playing in front of the fans…
“It’s always important to play hard and play well in front of the fans. They come out to support us, so it’s important to give them reasons to cheer.”
On tonight’s game…
“It definitely didn’t seem like a preseason game. I am sure it was on their mind that they won by 40 points. We thought about that. No excuses, but we are still learning to play together.”
On the Celtics… “ They were really trying to win the game, but we feel like we can play with anybody when we do the things we did tonight.”
Stephon Marbury:
On Zach Randolph…
“Zach brings a different type of attitude. (He is) a guy who can score from the outside and inside. And he can rebound the ball as well.”
Nate Robinson: On playing with a chip on his shoulder…
“We definitely did. Nobody likes to get beat by 40 points, even if its just a preseason game. We just came in focused and executed everything coach drew up. We were competitive. It is a rivalry game. Both teams played hard, and we don’t like to lose.”
On his emotion…
“I was just excited. I’d been 0-12 for the last two games, so I was yelling at myself and my teammates to get them involved. We were fired up and ready to play. We had fun out there and that’s the key.”
Quentin Richardson:
On the Celtics…
“It was like a regular season game. They won by 40 last game and I guess they thought it was going to be easy every time they see us, but that’s not the kind of guys we are. It’s going to be a highly competitive battle against the Celtics all year long.”
Zach Randolph:
On tonight’s game…
“Tonight felt like a real regular season game and guys were going real hard.”
On playing at Madison Square Garden…
“It has a way better atmosphere. It just feels different like you’re on the biggest stage. It’s a great feeling. A lot of fans didn’t get to see me play in Portland, where the games come on way too late on the East Coast. It felt great to come out here and get a win against the Celtics, as the last time they played us they beat us by 40. Guys had a little chip on their shoulder and wanted to come out and play hard.”
MONDAY'S KNICKS SUBSTITUTIONS
First Quarter
David Lee in for Eddy Curry at 5:35 (remaining)
Nate Robinson in for Jamal Crawford at 2:38
Malik Rose and Jared Jeffries in for Zach Randolph and Quentin Richardson at 1:48
Second Quarter
Crawford in for Stephon Marbury at 9:51
Curry in for Rose at 7:22
Richardson in for Jeffries at 6:10
Randolph in for Lee at 4:31
Marbury in for Robinson at 2:19
Lee in for Curry at 1:20
Rose in for Randolph at 15.7 seconds
Third Quarter
Wilson Chandler in for Richardson 7:47
Lee in for Curry at 6:53
Robinson in for Crawford at 4:41
Fred Jones in for Chandler at 4:03
Fourth Quarter
Jeffries and Crawford in for Randolph and Marbury at 12:00
Randolph and Marbury in for Jeffries and Jones at 7:39
Rose in for Lee at 5:07
Lee in for Rose at 2:59
Jones in for Robinson at 1:18
Jordan in for Marbury at 9.7 seconds
