Missing star Paul Pierce, Boston started Marquis Daniels, who answered with 14 points. Ray Allen proved crucial on both ends of the court, finishing with 24 points and snapping the Celtics out of a scoring funk in the second quarter.
New arrival Nate Robinson had a rather unimpressive showing in his Celtics debut, finishing with a minus-6 plus-minus and just four points in 16 minutes of play. His point guard counterpart, Rajon Rondo, tied a season high with 16 assists to go along with 15 points.
The crowd gave love to former Celtic and current Knick Eddie House, swapped for Robinson at the trade deadline. A tribute to House was shown on the big screen during a timeout in the first quarter. House blew a kiss to the crowd, but that was the extent of his impact as he scored a scant four points the entire game.
David Lee scored 28 points for the Knicks, but their push to deny Boston a win proved unsuccessful in the end after they erased a 13-point deficit to take the lead in the second quarter.
Celtics 110, Knicks 106
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.
February 23, 2010
Headliner: Allen impacted the game on both ends of the court. While his 24 points led the team, there were two crucial plays for which Allen was responsible. For a period of 3:38 in the second quarter, the Celtics were without a basket, while the Knicks seemed to drain every shot. After a 16-2 Knicks run, Allen drove to the baseline, grabbed two points whilst being fouled and then tacked on an additional point from the free-throw line.
On defense late in the fourth quarter, Allen pulled off a massive blocked shot that may have saved the game. The Knicks were about to pull within one with 48.9 seconds left … until Allen did something about it.
Scrub: Robinson's debut for the C's was rather disappointing, making just 2 of 7 field goal attempts and hoisting up (and missing) two treys. His 3-point shots were very curious attempts for the normally well-disciplined Celtics. He did make two steals and should contribute across the entire score sheet once he acclimates himself in Boston. His energy was immediately noticeable, as it's a trait Boston has lacked most of the season.
Turning Point: The Knicks were playing with tremendous energy all game, and the Celtics simply seemed to run out of gas near the end of the second quarter. Allen was able to get a basket before things got out of hand, bringing a spark of energy to both the team and crowd. Boston would end up needing its four-point halftime lead the rest of the way, as the teams tied each other 46-46 in the second half.
Up Next: The Celtics are set to see the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night for the first time since opening night when Boston won 95-89. LeBron James will come to town with another weapon added to his arsenal in Antawn Jamison while Boston still may be without the services of Pierce due to his sore thumb.
Boston will have a heck of a time beating the NBA-best 44-14 Cavaliers. On the Green's side will be the Garden, which figures to be buzzing with energy. After Boston came away 3-1 on their West Coast swing, they need to get past Cleveland to finish up a streak of games that put their talent to the test.
