Game Thread: NY Knicks vs Boston Celtics 03/31/13 7:30

rady

Administrator
Staff member
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Game preview

There's no love lost between the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, making for an intriguing potential matchup in the first round of the playoffs.

"Let's just be quite frank about them," Carmelo Anthony said after the Knicks beat the Celtics 100-85 on the road Tuesday. "We always want to beat Boston. New York in anything wants to beat Boston, and when we do it's a great feeling."

With the team streaking and J.R. Smith on a roll the league hasn't seen in quite a while, New York looks to win a season series with Boston for the first time in nine years Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.

This rivalry has been heated for many seasons, and this one has been no different. Anthony and Kevin Garnett had an on-court run-in during Boston's 102-96 road victory Jan. 7, leading to a one-game suspension for Anthony after he allegedly tried to confront Garnett following the game.

New York (45-26) proceeded to win the next two meetings in Boston and is on the verge of winning the season series for the first time since 2003-04 - the season before Doc Rivers became Celtics coach.

Sunday may not be the last matchup between the teams in 2013, though. The Knicks are battling Indiana for the Eastern Conference's second seed for the playoffs, while the Celtics (38-34) currently sit in seventh place.

Smith hit a clutch 3-pointer that helped New York earn an 89-86 win over Boston on Jan. 24 before scoring 32 points Tuesday.

The Celtics, who have been without Garnett the last four games because of left ankle inflammation, haven't been the only ones unable to slow Smith. He had 35 points in a 108-101 win over Memphis on Wednesday before scoring a season-high 37 in Friday's 111-102 victory over Charlotte.

Smith became the first player to have three straight 30-point performances off the bench since Milwaukee's Ricky Pierce did it in 1990. He's averaging 26.4 points - nearly nine above his season average - during New York's seven-game winning streak.

"He is focused. He is dialed in. Locked in," said Anthony, who added 32 points and 11 rebounds Friday. "He is playing extremely well and his confidence is sky high. We are following his lead."

Smith said it's simply his opportunity to step up.

"We have so many threats out there," said Smith, shooting 58.3 percent over the last three games. "So depending on who's got it going, it just so happens it's my turn."

The Knicks, who haven't won eight in a row since Nov. 28-Dec. 12, 2010, may need to work on finishing games as well as they've been starting them. For the second straight contest Friday, they built a 30-point lead only to wind up winning by single digits.

"At the end of the day, we've got to find ways to close games better," guard Raymond Felton said. "Against a team that might be a little bit better than the Bobcats, it could go either way."

http://www.nba.com/games/20130331/BOSNYK/gameinfo.html

Staring Lineups


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Munchen13

Benchwarmer
When JR drives to the rim, the knicks usually win. I am actually excited for this game in order to see our new JR Smith!
 

bigapple

Starter
and Heat are resting players for Knics crap why james and wade cant be rested for Knicks? rivalry? history? they dont care Spurs? dont james remeber that Spurs swept them as Cav 0-4? So then i wish 40 for Jr vs heat Melo 30 and 15 treys :(

but 1st i hope for 3rd victory vs Celtcis still without KG.
 

KingCharles34

All Star
This is another must win game for us with the Pacers still being a half game up...We want that home court advantage not just in the 1st round but in the 2nd round as well

Theres not really a good excuse for us to lose tonight. The Celtics have more injuries then we do, lets handle this business and keep it going. We got Miami next, the Pacers have the Clippers tomorrow night :crossfingers:
 

KingCharles34

All Star
Wow its sad to see how much this place has died. Here's my take on it...

Back when we had TeamStarbury, Metrocard, myself...we had alotta posters on here that fell under the hip hop/basketball culture umbrella

Most kids under 21 could care less about the culture and if anything look down on it while parading around in skinny jeans discussing the latest fashion trends. The coming and going of Jeremy Lin didnt help this place out too much either. Thats just my take on things, and i believe the best way to bring this place back would be to recruit an Akamu type poster that could photoshop images/signatures and put a Knicksonline watermark on them.

I dont want this to come across as criticism, these things we're out of our control and thats just the way the ball bounces sometimes.

Back to the Knicks, Shumperts looking really active out there. I was starting to forget all the good things he did for us last year up until this recent stretch where his shooting and all around involvement has been much better.
 

KingCharles34

All Star
Hey Kiyaman how have you been my main man?

I sorta addressed your question in one of my posts. We need this win to make sure we stay ahead of the Pacers. Some of us might be like "ehh its not a big deal. 2nd or 3rd is cool. As long as we dont play the Heat in the 2nd round."

We want 2nd place, we don't want the Pacers to have home court advantage. They're a tough team and either way its going to be a very difficult series for both teams assuming we both make it out of the 1st round
 

Kiyaman

Legend
Wow its sad to see how much this place has died. Here's my take on it...

Back when we had TeamStarbury, Metrocard, myself...we had alotta posters on here that fell under the hip hop/basketball culture umbrella

Most kids under 21 could care less about the culture and if anything look down on it while parading around in skinny jeans discussing the latest fashion trends. The coming and going of Jeremy Lin didnt help this place out too much either. Thats just my take on things, and i believe the best way to bring this place back would be to recruit an Akamu type poster that could photoshop images/signatures and put a Knicksonline watermark on them.

I dont want this to come across as criticism, these things we're out of our control and thats just the way the ball bounces sometimes.

Back to the Knicks, Shumperts looking really active out there. I was starting to forget all the good things he did for us last year up until this recent stretch where his shooting and all around involvement has been much better.
+++


:agreed:
Good point about the players & age group .... losing Lee, Gallo, and W.Chandler was tough .. but losing Jeremy Lin was the icing on a already angry-cake (Melo vs Amare) .. the debate lead to arguement, and the arguement lead to insult, and insults started tag-team matches insulting certain creative members.
The differ Age's had its part in it too.

Stayin outside while lookin inside KO
 

tiger0330

Legend
Here's a factoid. JR last year took 55 FTs, in his last 9 games he's taken 79.

Yeah it's a shame that a game thread in an important game is so dead. Losing Crazy8 was a big blow, he was the multimedia guy Kingstarbury is talking about but KOL was becoming a ghost town even with him. Now we have maybe 25 folks that post regularly, KOL is not going to Iast with activity like that.
 
Sweet geez, start the playoffs tonight. We are on fire. Midcourt bankshot from Felton at the buzzer! Let's go Knicks!
 

Kiyaman

Legend
Hey Kiyaman how have you been my main man?

I sorta addressed your question in one of my posts. We need this win to make sure we stay ahead of the Pacers. Some of us might be like "ehh its not a big deal. 2nd or 3rd is cool. As long as we dont play the Heat in the 2nd round."

We want 2nd place, we don't want the Pacers to have home court advantage. They're a tough team and either way its going to be a very difficult series for both teams assuming we both make it out of the 1st round


u are absolutely right .. Indiana Pacers FANS are sore-losing fans that would turn over a checker board when losing.
Homecourt advantage is a must for us .. a 50 win season is a must for us .. beating Boston, Chicago, Indiana in the remaining games are a must for us
 
When's the last time we took a season series from the Celtics? Let's run these guys out the door in the 2nd half. None of that lazy/sloppy 3rd quarter nonsense this time around. We are the class of the Atlantic Division and I don't want to hear about Celtics/Nets injuries, no one has played with more injuries than us this year.
 

tiger0330

Legend
Last game Ray dunks today he makes a 50 ft 3. What next a block of Lebron in Miami. Ray
was the guy that said the team has to finish because a hot startrt might not be enough against good teams. Not sure u can say the Celts area good team but we need to finish.
 
Both teams going small ball now. That's advantage us because it allows KMart to be far and away the most physical player on the court.
 
So far this has had the look of another potential 3rd quarter of doom, but our guys are fighting back enough to make them work for it. We might actually make it to the 4th quarter with something resembling our halftime lead for once.
 

Kiyaman

Legend
A 4-guard offense is not going to outscore a weak Boston in the 3rd qtr.

Copeland should be on the court .. takeout Felton
 

Meloball

Benchwarmer
Wow its sad to see how much this place has died. Here's my take on it...

Back when we had TeamStarbury, Metrocard, myself...we had alotta posters on here that fell under the hip hop/basketball culture umbrella

Most kids under 21 could care less about the culture and if anything look down on it while parading around in skinny jeans discussing the latest fashion trends. The coming and going of Jeremy Lin didnt help this place out too much either. Thats just my take on things, and i believe the best way to bring this place back would be to recruit an Akamu type poster that could photoshop images/signatures and put a Knicksonline watermark on them.

I dont want this to come across as criticism, these things we're out of our control and thats just the way the ball bounces sometimes.

Back to the Knicks, Shumperts looking really active out there. I was starting to forget all the good things he did for us last year up until this recent stretch where his shooting and all around involvement has been much better.


whats akamu??
 
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