Knicks 92
Celtics 74
BOSTON – Allan who?
The first night of Allan Houston’s rehab assignment was a rousing success for the Knicks, who had FleetCenter turning ugly in the second half – Bostonians mockingly chanting “Let’s Go Patriots” and even doing a brief “Jim O-Brien” sing-song.
With Shandon Anderson thrust into the starting lineup in place of Houston, blanketing Paul Pierce, and Stephon Marbury running the show with panache, the Knicks bombed the Celtics, 92-74, in a brilliant defensive showing.
“It’s personally gratifying to go on to the other team’s homecourt and see them get booed,” said Anderson, who shook off a shaky first few minutes to score 16 points and hold Pierce to a 3-of-16 shooting nightmare.
The Knicks made the Celtics look like what they are – a franchise ready to sink out of the playoff race. And Marbury even came close to calling the Celtics quitters.
The Knicks, who occupy the eighth and final playoff seed, maintained their one-game lead over Philly and Miami and closed to one game behind the seventh-place Celtics.
The Knicks’ second-half domination moved Marbury to opine about John Carroll’s Boston band, “They didn’t play the way they normally play. Usually they play with a lot more intensity. [In the past,] they never ever quit. Tonight they didn’t look they were familiar with each other.”
Marbury scored all 17 of his points in the first half, then distributed in the second half. Keith Van Horn drilled in 11 points in the opening 4:30 of the third quarter, when the Knicks busted the game open. On a picture-perfect play, Marbury drove, dished to the left corner for Van Horn, who nailed the trey.
Without Houston out indefinitely, coach Lenny Wilkens said everyone must step up, and Dikembe Mutombo listened, putting forth an effort out of November with a double-double and four blocks. He scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, five offensive.
Crediting two consecutive days of practice for the first time in his reign, Wilkens was downright giddy.
“Are we getting better? Are we learning?” Wilkens said. “We are. I see us getting better. I see us believing.”
It’s no secret. The Knicks are a more energetic defensive team without Houston, especially when he’s sore-kneed, and played more up-tempo with the speedy Anderson. Wilkens started Anderson for defensive purposes, wanting Penny Hardaway’s offense off the bench.
“We just wanted to lock up and play defense,” Hardaway said. “This game is strictly for defense. We didn’t shoot the ball great but we played great defense.”
In breaking a two-game losing streak, the Knicks did get it together offensively in the second half after committing 16 turnovers in the first two quarters.