- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The Boston Celtics come back to win on Saturday after being far from their best the whole game. They had stretches of brilliance but could not keep it going for more than a couple of minutes.
Inconsistency was what was killing them – particularly with defence, but they did enough down the stretch for the win.
The Knicks came to Boston and stretched them to their limit. They made a lot of their shots early – somewhat surprisingly. They allowed far too many fastbreaks though, and that was ultimately did them in.
Carmelo Anthony had a hand in everything with 30 points, 7 boards and 4 assists. He played 40 minutes and was the main reason NY could do what they were able to. He commanded attention which got teammates open and he found them when he could. A bit more focus on distributing the ball and maybe he could have turned the game.
Isaiah Thomas provided much the same with Boston. He outscored Anthony to get the game high 32, along with 8 assists. Whenever Boston needed to make a play he was there. Whether streaking down the floor to get the transitions periods going or attacking the ring hard and finding his way to the line – he was then engine for Boston tonight – as he often is.
They kept it a lot closer than expected but with their last few minutes of strong defence leading to fastbreak points Boston were able to do enough for the win. They have 13 straight at home now and TD Garden is fast becoming a place teams will hate travelling to.
Final score
Boston Celtics 105
New York Knicks 104
The Boston Celtics (37-25) might just be the surprise of the 2015-16 NBA season. They’re steadily distinguishing themselves as a contender in the East and would take great pleasure in defeating their old rival, the visiting New York Knicks (25-37). Join The Roar from 11:30am (AEDT) for live scores and coverage.
The Celtics are the black sheep in today’s NBA, they’re winning ball games without any form of ‘big three’ to speak of.
Isaiah Thomas has played like an All-Star, putting up over 21 points and six assists per game, deserving getting his first crack at February’s exhibition.
But beyond Thomas no Celtic has truly stood out, which is just how coach Brad Stevens would want it.
Boston has achieved success through effort and production up and down their roster, particularly defensively. They are the league’s third stingiest defence, allowing only 99.8 points per every 100 possessions.
On offence the team-first approach means that oppositions don’t know who will beat them on any given night, and this makes them dangerous.
Early in the season the Knicks looked as though they might have been as much of a surprise as Boston. But outside of their favourite giant Latvian, Kristaps Porzingis, New York fans have not had much to cheer about.
The team has lost 15 of their last 20 matches, it’s been that ugly. How Phil Jackson can sit in the stands and watch his team butcher the Triangle Offence, the very same that brought him 11 rings, is anyone’s guess.
New York set weak screens and don’t make effective cuts away from the ball, two things guaranteed to leave the Triangle limp and lifeless.
The Knicks still have their home-grown superstar in Carmelo Anthony. He’s averaging 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game, so no slouch, but he’s clearly not achieved the same success within the Triangle that his forebears, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, enjoyed.
What this all means is that the Knicks find it difficult to get easy looks at the basket. Anthony can still light up an opposition, but his team do not share the same offensive skills. New York averages 98.8 points per game, sixth worst in the league.
Coming up against Boston’s exceptional defence means the Knicks will need to buck this trend and a big night by Anthony would be welcome.
With their playoff hopes all but gone, New York will have to get their motivation from the prospect of defeating their Atlantic Division rivals.
A win for Boston would bring them to 13 straight at home, the third-longest such streak in 2015-16. Their famous parquet floor has been kind to them this season, expect this to be the case once again.
Prediction: Boston by 15
Join The Roar from 11:30am (AEDT) for live scores and coverage.
Build your own ultimate team! Pick your key players and take a shot at big cash prizes every day with Draftstars. For great odds on NBA games every day head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.