Allen connects on the game-winning 3-pointer with 11 seconds left and, without a timeout, the Knicks rush back down the floor and give Carmelo Anthony a shot at striking back. No dice. The Celtics hold on for a dramatic win.
Allen finishes with 24 points and six rebounds to lead the way for the Celtics. The game-winning trey is his third of the game.
Amare Stoudemire gives the Knicks 28 points and 11 rebounds in a losing effort.
The C's have the lead in this first-round series. They're back in action at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the TD Garden.
Fourth quarter, 21.0 seconds, Knicks 85-84: Carmelo Anthony just committed the dumbest foul of his life, quite possibly.
The Celtics get the ball back, as 'Melo shoved Paul Pierce away from the ball. Now the Celtics get it back, and they've got a chance to steal a win.
Who gets the last shot? Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have both been red-hot down the stretch.
Fourth quarter, 37.3 seconds, Knicks 85-84: The Celtics needed a quick bucket, and that's exactly what they got. It takes Rajon Rondo exactly 0.5 seconds to lob up an alley for a Kevin Garnett oop.
The Celtics are alive. They're a stop and a bucket away from winning this thing.
Fourth quarter, 37.8 seconds, Knicks 85-82: Oh, wow. Toney Douglas just hit the biggest shot of the night, putting the Knicks up by three.
Who needs Billups? The Knicks have a new Mr. Big Shot, and he just put them in position to win this ballgame.
Fourth quarter, 50.7 seconds, 82-82: Chauncey Billups is injured. The Knicks' point guard collides with Jermaine O'Neal at the rim, and he falls down clutching his knee. Looks like he's done for the night.
Under a minute to play, tie game, and the Knicks have the ball. Can they capitalize?
Fourth quarter, 1:13, 82-82: The Celtics are back. Paul Pierce comes up with a big bucket; he misses the next one, but Jermaine O'Neal is there for the putback.
J.O. is 6-for-6.
We're all tied up again.
Amazing.
Fourth quarter, 2:15, Knicks 82-78: Another big play from Jermaine O'Neal on the defensive end, taking a charge from Amare Stoudemire to stifle a Knicks drive. The Celtics get the ball back and have a chance to make this a one-possession game again.
Amare has been unstoppable down the stretch in this game. The Celtics need to show a little more toughness against the Knicks' athletic big man, denying him looks at the rim. Otherwise, they're cooked.
Big possession coming up. The Celtics could really use a bucket.
Fourth quarter, 3:23, Knicks 80-78: The Knicks get a big bucket from Amare Stoudemire to open a five-point lead again, but Ray Allen cuts the lead back to two. A three-point play for Ray to make things interesting.
That's 26 points now for Amare; it's 21 for Ray. What a battle.
Fourth quarter, 4:38, 75-75: Paul Pierce knocks down a high-arcing jumper from the free-throw line. What a beautiful shot. We're all tied up again.
The C's need a stop or two. They don't want to keep matching the Knicks shot-for-shot. That's a hard war to win.
Fourth quarter, 5:54, Knicks 72-70: The Celtics are still down two, but Paul Pierce just drew a foul from Amare Stoudemire in the act of shooting a 3. He's got a shot at putting the C's back in front.
The lead just keeps swinging back and forth. Looks like this game's going down to the wire.
Fourth quarter, 6:57, Knicks 70-68: Glen Davis misses a mid-range jumper, and the Knicks turn the rebound into a fast break and an Amare dunk. They're back in front.
The C's can't let the Knicks run. Whichever team generates more fast breaks will win this fourth quarter.
Fourth quarter, 9:04, Celtics 66-64: Delonte passes up his shot, hits an open Jeff Green, and watches Green connect on a mid-range jumper. The Celtics have the lead.
It's a 23-9 run for Boston. They've got all the momentum now. Let's see if they ride it to a win.
Fourth quarter, 9:42, 64-64: Delonte West is in the game, and he just charged baseline for a bucket. We're all tied up, folks.
The Celtics can win this game by executing better down the stretch. They're smart, experienced and well coached. This one is theirs for the taking.
Fourth quarter, 11:10, Knicks 64-62: Ray Allen starts the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, his second of the ballgame. The Celtics are back to within two.
They need to keep Ray going in this fourth quarter. His shooting might make the difference.
End of third quarter, Knicks 64-59: The Celtics are alive, but they're far from well. They still trail by five in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Knicks. It's going to take quite an effort for the C's to steal this one in the fourth quarter.
Kevin Garnett has been tremendous for the Celtics in this third quarter — he now has a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, plus three assists and two steals. Jermaine O'Neal has been a force defensively.
But the C's need their perimeter guys to step up and hit a few shots down the stretch. They need all five guys clicking offensively in this fourth quarter, or they're dead in the water.
Third quarter, 1:50, Knicks 61-57: The Knicks have found their defensive chops again. A solid 24 seconds of effort forces the C's to settle for a contested Rajon Rondo three in the final seconds of the shot clock; the Knicks close out the possession with a defensive board.
The Knicks' effort on the defensive end comes and goes. If they can keep the effort there for the final 14 minutes of this game, they'll be in good shape. But there are absolutely no guarantees there.
Third quarter, 3:51, Knicks 59-56: Toney Douglas misses a layup on one end, the Celtics trigger a fast break, and Ray Allen finishes at the rim on the other end. It's a 13-4 run for the Celtics now, and the lead is just three.
The Celtics are playing their game. They're running, but they're not letting the Knicks do the same. Every time the Knicks make a mistake, the C's are capitalizing and running the floor for a bucket.
They can't get complacent now, though. There's still work to be done.
Third quarter, 5:14, Knicks 59-51: Ronny Turiaf breaks up an 8-2 Celtic run by getting a good look under the basket and scoring on Jermaine O'Neal. Nice physical play by Turiaf to get the shot off.
Shockingly, this game has become the battle of the afterthoughts — Jermaine O'Neal and Ronny Turiaf, the two unheralded centers, are dueling in this third quarter. They've been physical, they've been confident and they've been playing their butts off.
Third quarter, 7:39, Knicks 55-47: Nice look in the paint for Jermaine O'Neal, who cuts the Knicks' lead from 10 to eight with a quick bucket.
Mike D'Antoni calls a timeout. He might be getting nervous about this one.
The Knicks are still up eight, but both teams' execution has been so bad that you just never know what might happen.
The C's are still very much alive in this game. They need to keep moving the ball and seizing opportunities for points in the paint.
Third quarter, 8:03, Knicks 55-45: Obscured by the Knicks' double digit lead is the fact that Chauncey Billups can't find a good shot to save his life.
Mr. Big Shot has become Mr. Ugly Contested Three. Billups is now 2-for-7 in this game, and it's not because he's missing good looks. He's taking some ugly ones.
Luckily for him, Amare and Carmelo have just been so good that it doesn't matter.
Third quarter, 10:26, Knicks 53-41: Amare gets the Knicks on the board in the second half with a pair of free throws. The lead is back to 12.
The Celtics need to slow down both Amare and Carmelo to have a chance in this second half. It's a tall order, that's for sure.
Halftime, Knicks 51-39: Amare Stoudemire just rubbed it in Glen Davis' face, charging baseline right at him and throwing down a mean one-handed slam in his face. That's how this first half has gone for the Celtics — the Knicks have been the better team, and they're rubbing it in.
Amare has led the way for the Knicks with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, plus four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Carmelo Anthony has 12 points as well.
The Celtics get 10 points from Rajon Rondo and nine from Paul Pierce. Kevin Garnett adds six with seven rebounds.
The C's need to execute better in the second half. They're getting humiliated right now.
Second quarter, 2:23, Knicks 45-37: A Celtic turnover leads to another jumper from Amare Stoudemire. The shots are falling for Amare tonight, no doubt about it. He's now got 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, and the Knicks have pushed their lead to right in this first half.
Kevin Garnett's defense on Amare has been a little timid, to say the least. He's playing like he's afraid to get into foul trouble. KG has to be more physical to keep from letting Amare find his shot with ease.
Also, the Celtics need to score some points.
Second quarter, 5:48, Knicks 34-30: Ray Allen knocked down two free throws at the 8:49 mark, giving the Celtics a lead at 30-28. It's been a full three minutes, and the Knicks are on a 6-0 run since.
Their offense is sputtering. They've been moving the ball and trying to find good looks, but the Knicks' defense has been clamping down.
Who knew Mike D'Antoni's ballclub could play D like this?
And here's the next question: Can it last?
Second quarter, 6:59, 30-30: Rajon Rondo is fighting like a warrior. The Celtics' little man just knifed his way through three defenders to leap for an offensive rebound.
Rondo has zero points and zero assists in this second quarter, but don't let that fool you. He's playing his heart out.
Second quarter, 8:49, 28-28: Ray Allen hasn't gotten many touches lately — zero in the first quarter of this game, in fact. But he's stepped up so far in the second quarter, taking two jumpers and making them both. Good to see him get going a little bit.
The C's are still working on getting their starters and reserves to play well together offensively. In the postseason, with rotations tightening, that's vital. So far, the C's second unit has done a good job of getting Ray the ball in position to score. That's a big development.
Second quarter, 10:23, 26-26: Paul Pierce is on the bench, and that leaves Jeff Green to guard Carmelo Anthony one-on-one. So far, he's holding his own.
The Celtics brought Green in this season to give them depth at the wing positions — not just offensively, but on the defensive evnd as well. If Green can sustain this defensive effort against 'Melo all series long, he'll have made Danny Ainge look like a genius.
End of first quarter, Celtics 24-23: Defense wins championships, and so far, the Celtics' D has taken a very nice first step. The C's hold the Knicks to only 23 points despite a super-duper high pace to start. The Knicks are 8-for-18.
Amare Stoudemire has been outstanding so far with six points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal in the first quarter.
Paul Pierce provides eight points, two assists and two rebounds for Boston.
It's been an intense, physical game so far. The C's can't be afraid to spill some blood out there. It may end up being one of those nights.
First quarter, 2:40, Celtics 20-15: The Celtics have gotten six points from Rajon Rondo, who's gone ultra-aggressive and is attacking the basket at every opportunity. The Knicks have gotten seven out of… Bill Walker? Whoa.
Walker was a throw-in in the deadline trade 14 months ago that sent Nate Robinson from New York to Boston. Now he's emerged as a surprise X-factor for the Knicks in Game 1. He's made three of his first four shots.
If there's anyone who can game-plan for Walker, it's his old coach. Doc Rivers has a plan, no doubt.
First quarter, 5:10, Celtics 16-13: Paul Pierce for three — again. The Celtics have surged back in front with an 8-2 lead, thanks in large part to two treys from the captain.
Mike D'Antoni calls for a timeout. He's got to find a way to stop Pierce. The Truth has six points, two rebounds and two assists in the first quarter.
First quarter, 7:25, Knicks 11-8: Now Jermaine O'Neal is in foul trouble as well. But the C's are prepared for this one — Glen Davis is ready to come off the bench and play big minutes.
Big Baby will need to have a big impact in this one, but without trying to do too much. He's got to find his shot within the flow of the game.
First quarter, 10:32, 2-2: Wow. Big break for the Celtics early — Carmelo Anthony finds himself in early foul trouble, with two quick ones.
Bill Walker checks into the ballgame for New York.
Remember Bill Walker? He used to don Celtic green. This is the first time we've seen him check into a playoff game in the first quarter, that's for sure.
First quarter, 11:22, Knicks 2-0: The Celtics win the opening tip, but their first possession ends in a Kevin Garnett airball and a shot clock violation. The Knicks get the ball and quickly get the first bucket, as Amare Stoudemire knocks down a long two.
Early advantage, Amare. Still a lot of series left.
6:30 p.m.: The Celtics are all well aware that even at home, as the higher seed to open the series, there are no guarantees. Hammering that home were Game 1 losses this week for Orlando, San Antonio and then the Lakers this afternoon.
"I hope it grabs attention," Doc Rivers said before the game "But I honestly believe everybody's attention is grabbed."
Rivers watched all the games, and he doesn't think any of them were a case of the higher-seeded team being "not ready to play." He praised the Hawks, Grizzlies and Hornets — especially Chris Paul — for their outstanding efforts in their respective Game 1s.
Then again, he really doesn't want his Celtics to be the next team getting upset.
5:15 p.m.: Welcome to the TD Garden, where the Knicks are attempting to make playoff history — by winning a game.
They haven't reached the playoffs since 2004, when they were swept 4-0 in the first round by New Jersey. The last time they won a single game in the postseason was 2001, when they pushed Toronto to five games before being eliminated in round one.
Surely, the Knicks are happy just to be here. But can they do anything more?
We'll find out soon.
8 a.m.: The Celtics were dismayed Saturday to hear that Shaquille O'Neal wouldn't be in the lineup Sunday, as they opened the playoffs at home against the New York Knicks. But they're ready to make things work without him.
"It sucks for him not to be out there with us," Glen Davis said. "But we've still got to push on and keep playing."
The Celtics have been waiting on Shaq for months now. They've also dealt with constant questions about other oft-injured guys this season — Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O'Neal, Delonte West and Nenad Krstic, just to name a few. But now it's time for the C's to forget all that stuff. Come playoff time, you go with whatever bodies you have, and there are no excuses.
"We don't have a choice," Rondo said. "We have to be ready. Whether we're healthy or not, the time is now."
The C's open the playoffs against a Knicks team that's been dramatically rebuilt this season. Mike D'Antoni is still working to smooth out the wrinkles after the blockbuster trade that landed Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups in the Big Apple. He's got a different team now — they're loaded at the top, with immense star power, but there are also questions about their depth and defensive chops.
The Celtics have also been through post-trade drama. Kendrick Perkins is gone, Jeff Green and Krstic are here in his place, and the C's now begin their march to a potential championship amid countless doubters in their own fan base. This town misses its lunch pail-toting center, no doubt.
But the time for moping and dragging feet is over. The postseason is here, and it's time for the Celtics to get to work. The road to another banner begins at 7 p.m. Sunday.
