Blood drips, bodies fly, and the Knicks lose

Here's my Knicks recap from ProSportsBlogging. You can find it here http://prosportsblogging.com/nba-basketball/new-york-knicks-basketball/blood-drips-bodies-fly-and-the-knicks-lose/

I didn’t catch the entire Knicks-Celts game tonight, but from what I saw, this one was not for the faint at heart. This game was reminiscent of those extremely competitive, if a bit bloody, playoff series’ between the Knicks and Heat in the 90’s.

Troy Murphy left with a bloody nose, Big Baby Davis got caught with a Carmelo Anthony elbow to the head, and Ray Allen was forced to briefly leave the game in the third quarter with a bleeding head. Carmelo Anthony also took five stitches above his left eye, but New York still took the bout with a unanimous decision.

However, although the Knicks would’ve definitely taken this game in the ring, on the court it was another story. The real scoreboard, the one that matters in the NBA, showed 96-86 Celtics.

The Knicks started off strong in this one, and were up three after the first. The Beasts of Broadway really turned it on in the second quarter also, and entered the locker room with a 51-37 lead at the half. Sadly for the Knicks however, this was as good as it got. The Celtics outscored the Knicks 59-35 the rest of the way, and showed them why they are still the reigning Easten Conference Champions.

Early in the fourth, the Knicks were still up 82-73, but then Boston took it to a new level, going on a13-0 run to turn that Celtic deficit into a lead. The Knicks never recovered, and the Celts finished the game on a 23-4 run to give New York its third straight loss. 

Boston’s big three (although I think they should now be called a big four, with the emergence of Rondo) combined for 60 points, while the Knicks slightly smaller three (Amare, Melo and Billups) combined for 59. Amare only put up 16 in this game, and if the Knicks hope to go anywhere this postseason, he will need to be more involved then that.

Another player who the Knicks need in these types of games is Landry Fields. Fields shot 1-6 from the floor and put up a goose egg from the three point line. In a game like this, where the star players even out, depth and leadership become even more important. It’s role players like Fields, as well as clutch play down the stretch, that ultimately decide playoff style games like these.