After outscoring the Knicks 30-22 in the first quarter, Boston faded in the second and third quarters as the hosts outscored the Celtics 60-47 in the middle frames, before Boston woke up with a 21-point fourth quarter effort.
Celtics 107, Knicks 105 (OT)
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Nov. 22, 2009
Headliner: Paul Pierce was lethal from the floor, finishing with a game-high 33 points including 14 points in first quarter. The Truth shot 6-of-7 from 3-point land and added nine boards and six assists in the road victory. Pierce scored seven of Boston’s nine points in overtime to go with a crucial block on Wilson Chandler‘s attempt with less than a minute to go in OT.
Unsung Hero: Al Harrington led the way for the Knicks with 30 points and added nine boards and a pair of assists.
Rajon Rondo chipped in with 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.
Scrub: New York’s starting guards Chris Duhon and Larry Hughes scored a combined seven points while shooting 3-for-17 from the floor.
Turning Point: Kevin Garnett may have had a tough afternoon in New York but the Big Ticket made the big shot of the day as he drained a jumper with no time remaining in overtime to give the C’s the win. Garnett hit just 4-of-15 shots from the floor but finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
Up Next: The C’s return to Boston on Wednesday night for a pre-Thanksgiving tilt with the Philadelphia 76ers in their second of three straight Atlantic Division matchups.
The Sixers are 5-8 and have lost two in a row and four of their last five. The third-place Sixers will meet the Wizards on Tuesday night in Washington before making their way to the Hub on Wednesday.
Andre Iguodala leads the team with 18.2 points per game while Jason Smith leads in 3-point shooting with a 45.5 percent clip from beyond the arc.
