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FAST BREAK: CARMELO ANTHONY, KNICKS STOMP RAJON RONDO-LESS CELTICS

WEE By Ben Rohrbach 
 
A 17-foot Raymond Felton jump shot 58 seconds into the game gave the Knicks a 2-0 advantage, and they never looked back, stretching the lead to 10 in the first 4:21 and ultimately handing the Celtics a 116-92 loss.

The C’s (22-43) kept pace with the Jazz, Lakers and Kings out West for the NBA’s fourth-worst record. Jeff Green‘s 27 points paced the offense, although much of his scoring came in the second half of a blowout and he added just two rebound and no assists. Kris Humphries (15 points), Jerryd Bayless (15 points) and Jared Sullinger (10 points, 8 rebounds) also reached double figures.

Meanwhile, the Knicks (26-40) moved within three games of bumping Atlanta from the eighth seed in the disastrous Eastern Conference. Carmelo Anthony led New York with 34 points and nine rebounds.

WHAT WENT WRONG

Worst first: The undermanned Celtics didn’t exactly make a defensive stand in the opening quarter. The Knicks connected on 63.6 percent of their shots — including 5-of-6 3-pointers — to to snatch a double-digit lead and seemingly put the game out of reach in the game’s first five minutes. The C’s had no answer for Anthony, who netted 13 points on 3-of-4 shooting from distance in the first quarter.

No Rondo: It doesn’t appear the Celtics point guard will make an appearance on the second night of a back-to-back this season. Since the C’s have four such contests in their final 17 games, that should be welcome news to anyone rooting for Ping Pong balls. Of course, they could have sat Rondo on the first night of the back-to-back in Indiana, but alas he sat the more winnable game on paper in front of the home crowd on Wednesday.

Hardaway got away: Would you rather have Kelly Olynyk or Tim Hardaway Jr.? The Knicks selected the Hall of Fame finalist’s son eight slots behind the Celtics, and once you throw in the two second-round picks Danny Ainge dealt to move up and grab the 7-footer, the scales probably tip in Hardaway’s favor. Especially after he submitted a a near-flawless first half against the C’s, scoring 17 points on seven shots to give New York a 68-48 lead at the break.

WHAT WENT RIGHT

Hump day: While many Celtics are playing for pride at this point, Humphries is competing for his next contract. A veteran in an ever-changing role on a young squad, he’s been a steady presence in an otherwise unsteady locker room, as the rest of the acquisitions in the Nets trade are through wearing green for the rest of the season. Humphries was the only Celtics player in double figures at halftime, and his chase-down block of Hardaway in the third quarter was the stuff of legend. (Well, as much as a Kris Humphries chase-down block can be.)

Halftime speech: The Celtics could have easily thrown in the towel at the break, but they came out punching in the third quarter. Green’s personal 7-0 run sliced New York’s lead to single digits with 13 minutes to go, but the comeback was short-lived. The Knicks starter quickly reestablished a comfortable advantage.
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Rapid Reaction: Knicks 116, C's 92

By Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com

BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics 116-92 on Wednesday night at TD Garden:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 34 points on 11-of-25 shooting with nine rebounds and two assists, while Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 22 points off the New York bench. Cole Aldrich added a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in a spot start. Jeff Green scored 17 of his team-high 27 points in the third quarter but his stat line was otherwise lackluster (2 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, minus-15) over 41 minutes. Jerryd Bayless added 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting, but was a team-worst minus-25 in plus/minus. The Knicks shot 52.5 percent overall, including 57.9 percent (11 of 19) beyond the 3-point arc. Boston finished at 42 percent shooting.

TURNING POINT
It took less than 4 ½ minutes for the Knicks to build a double-digit lead and that advantage ballooned as high as 24 late in the first half. New York battered Boston beyond the arc in the first half, connecting on 9-of-10 triples as part of a 68-point outburst. Anthony and Hardaway Jr. combined for 36 first-half points on 13-of-20 shooting as the Knicks shot 60.5 percent from the floor overall before the intermission.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT
Kris Humphries, no stranger to a highlight-worthy block in recent games, came up with maybe his top swat of the season by denying a Tim Hardaway Jr. dunk attempt early in the third quarter. Hardaway appeared to be streaking to the rim when Humphries came from the side to block the attempt. GIF below courtesy of @MrTrpleDouble10  

 

LOOSE BALLS
The Knicks never trailed. ... The Celtics dressed only 10 players, but Joel Anthony was still a healthy DNP. ... Rajon Rondo got a night of planned rest on the second game of a back-to-back.

WHAT IT MEANS
The Celtics (22-43) have now lost two straight and will remain tied for the fourth-worst record in the NBA. Boston takes Thursday off before hosting the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. A two-game road trip looms after with visits to New Orleans and Dallas. Boston is 0-13 so far this season on the road against the Western Conference and needs a win on the trip to break up the season shutout.

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I had a senior moment at the beginning of the game when, for some reason, I thought we were playing in NY.  It took a while before the implications of the white home jerseys and giant leprechaun at center court sank in.  Oh yeah, I'm at the top of my game.

The Celtics only dressed 10 players but the Knicks only dressed 11 and who goes deeper than that anyway?  A cheap excuse, if you ask me.  The Celtics were playing without 4 of their top 5 front court players, only Melo suited up.  That still didn't stop them from out-rebounding us 47-38.  At the half, Phil Pressey was tied with Sully for leading Celtic rebounder with 5.  Yuck.

A record 36 points in the first quarter against us so stirred us that we only gave up 32 points in the 2nd quarter.  In fact, they had 3 30+ point quarters.  

They shot 90% from 3 in the first half.  90%.  Their ball movement around the perimeter was drop dead gorgeous.  If they had an open shot they took it and they hit it.  We, on the other hand, continue to have problems finishing.

1.  A weak first half by Jeff Green, where he couldn't break free from his defender (usually JR Smith) turned into a great second half.  Once again, we're left with the head-shaking question "if he can do this, then why doesn't he do it more regularly?"  19 of his 27 came in the 2nd half on a variety of jumpshots, swooping layups and drives.  He was 2-6 in the first quarter and 1-1 in the 2nd quarter.  In the third, however, he was 6-9 (2-2 from 3).  Unfortunately, he was a weak 1-4 in the 4th, with 3 of the misses near the rim, but he wasn't getting any help either.  I thought Green would be guarding Melo, and that would detract from his offense but Stevens sicced Bass on Melo instead.  An aggressive Jeff Green is an effective Jeff Green.  In the first half he wasn't but in the 2nd half he attacked every time.  Instead of giving the rebound to Pressey and have him bring it up the rebounder would give it to Green and he'd take it the remaining 80-85'.  It's what Doc used to call "feeding the pig", giving it to the hot hand and boy, in the 2nd half, Jeff Green was smoked bacon.

2.  Another solid game by Hump.  In the first half, when nobody else showed up for work, Hump was doing everything you could ask from him to slow down the hemorrhaging.  He's our Rambis (and I say that with a great deal of respect for Kurt Rambis.  On a team of showtime high-flyers he was a pure blue-collar lunch pail worker).  We have an embarrassment of riches at 4 with Sully, Hump and Bass.  While I'm looking forward to what the off-season may bring us, I am not looking forward to the prospect that at least one of those players may be gone.

3.  Enjoy Phil Pressey because, in my opinion, you'll only have 17 more games to watch him.  There's no doubt he's faster than a woman peeing outside and he has great courtvision (he went coast to coast at blazing speed and was about to pass to Johnson on the wing but at the last second saw Bass trailing him and passed it to him for a layup and foul.  Fantastic court vision and pace by the rook) but he can't throw the ball in the ocean from the end of the pier.  He shot 3-9 with 4 of the misses uncontested in the paint.  You have to hit your bunnies and open looks.  He had 5 assists but he also had 3 TOs, two of which were just horrendous.  He committed the cardinal sin for a short passer, he dribbled into the corner and got double-teamed and had to use up a timeout to bail himself out.  There's going to be back up guards available this off-season, probably for cheap.  And even if they're not cheap, unless we load up on assassins the difference between our team with an effective point guard and without one is startling.  We need one, whatever it takes, and Phil Pressey is not closing the sale with me.

4.  They had 40 points in the paint vs 34 for us.  They're missing their entire front court, minus Melo, and they outscore us in the paint.  A lot of that came from great ball movement and because our defense was so focused on running them off the arc which created openings down low for them.  Our spacing needs work.  We collapse too much and that results in us running at shooters, as opposed to being able to just take a quick step or two and be close enough to make them hesitate on the shot.  The Knick defense did a much better job than us on that, never being too far from our shooters, never being too far from the passing lanes.  What they lacked in size and bulk they made for by being well-positioned, active and being pests.

5.  Ok, I'm starting to rethink the whole "I hate Melo" thing.  Sure, he can be a bit much but he does seem to rise to occasions.  He is an assassin, and I'm on the lookout for one for us.  Truthfully, I'd rather have Hardaway, but I suspect the price for him would be stiff, like Rondo (and some other useless Knicks thrown in), and I wouldn't go for that.  The difference between us with Rondo and us without him is like night-and-day.  Gaining a shooter won't make up for the loss of a player that lifts all boats.  Hardaway can shoot, though, brother can he shoot.

6.  Cole Aldrich had a good game after flirting with being considered the new "El Busto".  He looks as stiff as Eric Montross (minus the iron bolts coming out of Montross' neck) but he repeatedly swooped in and grabbed offensive boards last night.  Half of his 10 boards were offensive.  Cole Aldrich and Jeremy Tyler (who?) are the Knicks only bigs and he has a career game on us.  Yuck.

What a shame, after that marvelous effort the night before in Indy, to be so flat against a non-playoff team like the Knicks.

One good thing about this well-played game by NY game is that maybe now the NY media won't feel driven to concoct all those loony "trade for Rondo" rumors.



bob



.

The game started off wrong. Giving up 20 points in what amounts to the first 5and a half minutes of play is not going to win you many games.

The Celtics' defense is inconsistent. They managed to hold Indiana for the most part but can't seem to contain the lowly Knicks. This is really where they miss Wallace and Bradley's ability to hassle the other team. You can't quite appreciate one's worth til they're not around anymore (like Rondo was).

Also, why is Joel Anthony almost never in the game?



KJ