REUTERS/Mike Segar
The New York Knicks welcomed the Boston Celtics on Wednesday to Madison Square Garden in what was built up as a “renewed rivalry”.
Renewed by the recent winning streak by the Knicks and the play of Amare Stoudemire and his 8 game 30 point streak.
Many of the Knicks victories were against weaker opponents. The two biggest wins were against the Hornets and the Nuggets three days ago. The Knicks 16-10 record is good enough for 4th in the Eastern Conference and beating Boston would would make it easier for New Yorkers and others to jump back on the Knicks bandwagon.
The Knicks were seeking their first nine-game winning streak since winning 15 in a row from March 1-April 2, 1994. But the Celtics, showing their huge advantage in late-game experience, scored 67 points in the second half.
Then this happened:
Paul Pierce has a funny way of celebrating game winners, and more about Nate’s face plant later.
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Paul Pierce nailed the game winner over Amare Stoudemire with 7 seconds left, finishing with 32 points. The Celtics, who trailed most of the night before running their record to 20-4, best in the Eastern Conference. Ray Allen scored 26 points and Garnett had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Celtics, enjoying their fifth winning streak of 10 games or more since their Big Three came together before the 2007-08 season.
Stoudemire tied a season high with 39 points, extending his franchise-record streak to nine straight 30-point games. Stoudemire’s streak is the longest in one season since Kobe Bryant had nine 30-point games in a row at the end of the 2005-06 season.
Raymond Felton had 26 points and 14 assists, Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points and Wilson Chandler had 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who lost for just the second time in their last 15 games.
Doc Rivers got his 300th victory as Celtics coach, improving to 300-216 in his six seasons with Boston. He’s fourth on their wins list and needs eight to tie K.C. Jones for third.
As for the Nate Robinson face plant here is another view and what Kevin Garnett had to say about the rivalry:
You gotta love KG!
