Dynamite win for Celtics
NBA. The last time the Celtics played a regular-season game on TNT, Danny Ainge was calling the action.
Now, largely due to the shrewd personnel moves Ainge made last summer, the nation cares to see the C’s again. And they put on a show last night, ripping through a train wreck of a Knicks team, 104-59, in front of a sold-out TD Banknorth Garden.
“The frustrating thing about TNT is they talk about putting the good teams on,” said Celtics captain Paul Pierce, lamenting on the way Boston has been viewed in recent years. “I looked up last year, and we haven’t had any TNT games on the last couple years, but there were a couple teams that were playing that weren’t as good as us. I was jealous of that. But it’s good to be back on. The nation gets a chance to watch us and see what we’re about.”
The Knicks (4-10) last night exemplified one of those teams Pierce has been jealous of, finding their way into prime time despite looking more out of place than Dane Cook on a World Series commercial.
The Knicks’ 59 points marked the second-lowest total in franchise history, and they were constantly out of sync, especially with Stephon Marbury running the point. Things went from dysfunctional to comical when David Lee missed an uncontested reverse dunk in the final minute of the first half.
The Celtics (12-2), however, put together a dynamite performance for their TNT audience. They won their first eight home games for the eighth time in franchise history, and the first time since 1985-86, when the Celtics won their last NBA championship.
Paul Pierce led the Celtics in limited duty, with 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Ray Allen scored 16 points, and Kevin Garnett had eight points and 11 rebounds.
The game was over early. The Celtics jumped out to a 14-3 lead less than five minutes into the first quarter, and later used a 16-2 run to take a 43-18 lead in the second.
It only got worse in the third, when the Celtics outscored New York 28-10 to take an 82-41 lead. The C’s were up by as many as 52, when Gabe Pruitt’s jumper extended the margin to 95-43, causing one Knicks fan to throw in the towel, literally, as he tossed it onto the floor and walked out of the building.
