Celtics 92 Knicks 86
It’s not the attitude. It’s not the “whisperers.” It’s the incompetence. It’s the sloppiness. It’s the inability to get to the foul line, get easy shots or make them.
Maybe Knicks GM Scott Layden, embroiled in a ton of trade talks, can ship out the entire roster, not just Glen Rice. How about Allan Houston, who may have experienced the worst game of his Knick career last night, finishing with four points.
Yes, the Knicks are choking – in their worst rut since the rickety lockout regular season.
And they’re hearing it from their fans. Last night, after a lackluster second period in which they were outscored 26-15, they went to the locker room with boos raining down.
Here’s some historical perspective on how despicable last night’s 92-86 home loss to the Celtics was:
Boston (11-15) had not won at the Garden in 15 straight games.
Rick Pitino had not won an NBA game at the Garden since he left the Knicks as coach.
The Celtics last victory at the Garden came in 1993.
The Knicks are officially in a fullblown crisis. During one juncture, spanning the second and third periods, the Celtics scored 17 unanswered points against the staggering Knicks, who have lost four of five games, fell to 15-12 with first-place Philly on tap tonight at First Union Center.
The Knicks are not ready for the Clippers, let alone the Sixers. They’ve averaged 72.3 points in their last four losses. They shot nine free throws last night.
Houston didn’t get to the line once, shot 2 of 12 and looked lost and stripped of his bounce and competence. Meanwhile, his shooting-guard counterpart Paul Pierce scored 31 points.
Houston didn’t score in the second half, just like he didn’t score in the second half of the Atlanta loss Tuesday. The final indignity was committing an offensive foul with 22.3 seconds left and the Knicks trying to rally, down 88-81.
The unexpected return of Larry Johnson did little to snap the Knicks out of their funk. Johnson, who had missed the last three games with a sprained knee, had four points, shot 2 of 7 and missed his final four shots while committing four turnovers.
And as soon as LJ was back in, Marcus Camby went out. Camby joined the wounded list after straining his groin in the second quarter. He did not play in the second half and is doubtful for tonight.
Rice was not the problem last night. He scored 32 points on 11 of 21 shooting.
The Celtics scored the last 10 points of the second quarter and the first seven of the third quarter to mount a 54-40 lead with 10:23 left in the third. Rice and Houston shot airballs on the Knicks’ first two possessions of the third.
Rice broke Boston’s 17-0 run and 6:38 scoreless drought by draining a trey from straightaway. But the Knicks still trailed 69-58 after three and got behind 72-58 early in the fourth. The Knicks had six turnovers in the last eight minutes of the third.
The Knicks began well enough, building a 25-21 lead after one quarter, looking almost fluid on offense.
The bottom dropped out midway through the second when Pierce got red-hot and the Knicks went stone-cold. They went scoreless for the final 4:40 of the half when the Celtics outscored them 10-0.
Camby left the game for good with 3:19 left in the half, straining his left groin. He hobbled to the locker room and did not make it back. It was doubtful he’d be available tonight against the Sixers.
Pierce scored 10 straight points midway through the second and the Knicks went clank, clank, clank. Boston built a 47-40 lead by intermission as the Knicks got booed off the court by the surly crowd.
Pierce scored 14 of his 16 first-half points in the second period. The Knicks led 35-28 on LJ’s running lefty hook in the lane with 8:36 left. The Celtics closed the half on a 19-5 spree.
Houston picked up where he left off in Atlanta when he was 0-for-8 in the second half. He seemed completely out of rhythm last night, didn’t get many looks and had just four points by half.