Boston Celtics complete the sweep; New York Knicks fall at the Madison Square Garden
On Sunday night, Carmelo Anthony hit a game-high 32 and Amar’e Stoudemire scored 19, but it was not enough for the New York Knicks as the Boston Celtics completed the first round series sweep at the Madison Square Garden. Boston
were lead by power forward Kevin Garnett, who finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Four other Celts also reached double figures, including Rajon Rondo, who had 21.
Boston were always the favourites for this series, but the early injuries to Amar’e Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups, who did not feature at all after game 1, made the series all the more lop sided.
The Celtics raced to an early 38-55 lead in the first half as the Celtics big men stifled the Knicks offense. Knicks struggled to get going throughout the first half, shooting only 29.6 percent from the field in the first quarter
and a meagre 15 percent in the second.
The Knicks squad had been hurt by the blowout loss in Game 3 in front of their home crowd and it showed. The players seemed eager for the do-or-die battle and contested every loose ball, going toe to toe with the Celtics in terms
of physicality and hunger. The crowd also got behind their team. The Madison Square Garden, which has not witnessed the Knicks win a home playoff game for the last ten years, roared in tandem as they spurred their stars on. With a desperate team going hard
at the opponents and a pumped up crowd, there was a concern of things getting out of hand. And they did.
With the game not flowing their way early on, frustration mounted for the Knicks. Things heated up in the first quarter, when Carmelo Anthony was called for a flagrant foul. Then early in the second frame, Delonte West and Stoudemire
were hit by a double technical as West was shoved in the back by the Knicks forward after a hard foul.
Boston led by as many as 23 points at one point in the game, but as soon as the Celtics’ big men headed to the bench deep into the third quarter, Carmelo spearheaded a Knicks comeback. Anthony and Stoudemire tore apart the Celtics
offense late in the second half as the Knicks cut the deficit down to four.
The Celtics hit back with Rondo and Allen hitting consecutive shots to take the gap back to 8 points and when Kevin Garnett hit a 16 foot jumper to make it 85-95, the game effectively ended. After the wobble, Celtics hung tough
down the stretch to close the game out, and the series, with Ray Allen scoring the game’s last two points from the free-throw line.
The early wrapping up of the Series gives the aging Boston squad an important break before their much anticipated series against the Miami Heat, who have been forced into game 5 by a resurgent Sixers team. The Celtics have avoided
a similar fate, perhaps because of the experience they have in these situations, and will now have time to prepare for the next series.
For the Knicks, it’s the end and perhaps a beginning. Mike D’Antoni has two of the most talented players around in the shape of Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. He knows he can build a big team around these two and would not
dwell on this year. It was their first year together, Anthony arrived midway through the season, and in the playoffs injuries crippled an already weak roster.
His comments after the game suggest that he has this fact in mind:
"Amare started the year out the way he ended it. He's all heart. He just gave it all. He's just been unbelievable all year as a leader and as a person. I would think with him and Carmelo going forward, the Knicks are in good shape."
New York is buzzing even after the series loss, rightly so.
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