BSJ Game Report: Knicks 102, Celtics 93 -- No answer for ... Michael Beasley? taken at Madison Square Garden (Celtics)

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Celtics

BSJ Game Report: Knicks 102, Celtics 93 -- No answer for ... Michael Beasley?

By Brian Robb

Dec 21, 2017 • 11:04 pm

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NEW YORK — Everything you need to know about the Knicks’ 102-93 win over the Celtics in quickie form.

HEADLINES

Michael Beasley took over in the second half: The Celtics shook off an ugly shooting start in the first half to take a nine-point lead in the third quarter, but it was short-lived. Michael Beasley took command of the game from there scoring 28 of his season-high 32 points in the second half on a steady diet of midrange jumpers. The Celtics threw nearly every defender at the roster at him, but none could slow down the veteran journeyman.

Shorthanded Celtics don’t have horses to keep up: Without the services of Marcus Morris, Jaylen Brown or Shane Larkin, the Celtics were down to just 11 active healthy players on the roster on the second end of a back-to-back. Six of those players were rookies. On another night where the shots weren’t falling (35 percent in first half), the Celtics didn’t have the manpower to hang with the Knicks over a full 48 minutes and relied on too many subpar pieces on the bench.  

TURNING POINT

The Celtics turned a four-point halftime deficit into a nine-point lead late in the third quarter, but it was the Beasley show from there. The veteran forward closed the gap in the final four minutes of the quarter, leading the Knicks to an 11-2 run with seven points of his own to tie things out and give the hosts the momentum heading into the fourth.




TWO UP


Kyrie Irving:
The point guard is in the midst of one of the best 3-point shooting seasons of his career (40 percent) and he wasn’t shy about getting up the deep ball early and often against the Knicks. He went 6-of-15 from downtown, and those 15 attempts from beyond the arc were a season-high. He finished with 32 points. 


Michael Beasley:
The former No. 2 overall pick has been a sparkplug all year for the Knicks off the bench but the Celtics didn’t have an answer for him during the second half. He scored 28 of his 32 points after intermission, carrying the Knicks back from a nine-point second-half deficit behind a mix of midrange shooting and drives to the paint. No matter what defender Brad Stevens threw at him, (Smart, Ojeleye, Horford), Beasley had his way with all of them.


TWO DOWN


Terry Rozier:
With a shorthanded Boston backcourt (no Larkin or Brown), the Celtics could have used a big night from the off guard. Instead, he continued to struggle with his shot for the second night, managing just three points on 1-of-7 shooting. He’s now one of his last 12 from the field over the past two games.


Defensive rebounding in the first half:
The Knicks shot worse than the Celtics in the first half (32 percent) but they managed to maintain a lead thanks to 10 offensive rebounds, which led to 13 second-chance points. Enes Kanter led the way with four offensive rebounds over the opening 24 minutes.


INJURY REPORT


Jaylen Brown (Achilles)
and Shane Larkin (hip) were both late scratches. They are day-to-day.    


TOP PLAY




ONE TAKE B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER


The Celtics streak of getting destroyed by random role players is troubling:
Ricky Rubio, Kelly Olynyk
Michael Beasley
  
 

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