Everything you need to know about the Celtics beating the Knicks 113-99 with BSJ insight and analysis
Box Score
HEADLINES
Kyrie looks sharp in return from hip injury: Kyrie Irving showed no signs of rust in his return from a two-game absence, leading the Celtics with a team-high 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to help the visitors pull away in the fourth quarter with a 113-99 win over the shorthanded Knicks.
The game was surprisingly competitive through the first three quarters despite the fact New York traded away their starting backcourt on Thursday in a blockbuster deal with the Dallas Mavericks. Still, the Celtics did enough to keep the young hosts at bay, thanks to balanced scoring that included six different Celtics scoring in double figures. Marcus Morris (four made 3s), Al Horford (10 of 14 points in the third quarter) and Gordon Hayward (14 points off the bench) looked solid in stretches but it was Irving who was the main attraction after a day of speculation about his future. The Garden crowd chanted “We want Kyrie” on multiple occasions and cheered the All-Star most times he touched the ball.
Celtics all alone in the No. 4 spot in East: It was the third straight win for the Celtics who pulled into sole possession of the No. 4 seed in the East thanks to a reeling Pacers squad that has dropped four straight since losing Victor Oladipo to injury. Boston is now 7-1 in their last eight games and are just one game back of the Sixers for the three seed in the East. A big week against Western Conference opponents looms ahead for the Celtics ahead of the All-Star Break, as the Thunder, Clippers and Lakers all come to town starting on Super Bowl Sunday. Oklahoma City is the hottest team in the NBA, having won seven straight after beating Miami on Friday night.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics second unit opened up the fourth quarter with a 24-10 run, pushing a nine-point lead all the way up to 23 midway through the frame, which gave the visitors enough of a cushion to cruise their way to a second straight road win against an undermanned Knicks squad.
TWO UP
Al Horford in the third quarter: The veteran scored 10 of his 14 points in the third quarter, carrying an otherwise cold offense with 5-of-6 shooting during that stretch while also grabbing five of his nine rebounds. The consistency remains encouraging for the 32-year-old who only had to play 27 minutes on Friday night.
Gordon Hayward: The numbers don’t jump off the page, but there was plenty of positive signs on a night where the swingman threw down an alley-oop, had an impressive block on Enes Kanter and knocked down a couple of 3s. He had 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting in just 21 minutes, carrying the offensive load for the second unit for most of the night.
TWO DOWN
Getting to the free-throw line: I know the Celtics aren’t good in this area but the Knicks have the third worst defense in the league. Still, Boston managed to shoot just 10 free throws on the night, which tied for their second-lowest total on the season. That low tally was the byproduct of a lot of settling on offense, particularly in the first half.
The Knicks: They have now lost 12 straight games overall and 20 of their last 21 to secure the worst record in the NBA. While the vibes may be positive about their cap space for the moment, this team doesn’t have much left on the roster to put a decent supporting cast together around whoever they land in free agency.
TOP PLAY
GORDON. HAYWARD. pic.twitter.com/0FEvY4YXQb
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 2, 2019