Knicks · Game Thread: NY Knicks @ BOS Celtics - 8PM (page 1)

No matter what was said between Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnett during and after the last time the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics met, Anthony says the incident is behind him.

Thursday night's rematch in Boston simply is one between two struggling teams looking to right the ship.

On-court bickering led to technical fouls for both players in the final minutes of Boston's 102-96 victory Jan. 7 at Madison Square Garden, and Anthony attempted to confront Garnett multiple times after the game as well.

"Listen, heat of the battle, man. Guys go back and forth. He's trying to get his team to go, I'm trying to get my team to go, both teams are colliding, not to mention that it's the Knicks and the Celtics," Garnett said following the contest. "Just what it is, man."

Anthony ended up being suspended for one game for his off-the-court actions following that defeat, which began the current stretch of four losses in six games for the Knicks (25-14).

Anthony said he's put the incident in the past and his focus is just to win Thursday. New York has dropped 13 straight meetings in Boston -- including the postseason -- dating back to a 101-77 victory Nov. 24, 2006.

"On my end there's nothing left over," Anthony said. "It's just another game on the schedule and we just happen to be playing Boston. As far as anything being left over, this is a new game.

"We can't get the game back that we lost to them on our home floor, so we want to go and return the favor and beat them on their home floor."

Anthony, shooting 36.6 percent in his last five games, certainly doesn't expect a warm reception from the TD Garden crowd.

"It'll be a hostile environment. I'm expecting that," he said. "It'll be a fun game just knowing what's at stake as far as us playing Boston in a divisional game."

New York's Atlantic Division lead was further trimmed after Monday's 88-85 home loss to second-place Brooklyn. After facing Boston, the Knicks will play at Philadelphia on Saturday.

"I don't want to put that much pressure on us because right now we're still in a great spot in the East and (at the top) of our division," said Anthony, whose streak of 26 straight games with at least 20 points is three shy of Richie Guerin's franchise record. "But to undermine these next two games, that would be the wrong thing to do. These games are big-time games. We accept that challenge."

Boston (20-21), meanwhile, is on the verge of a season-worst fifth straight defeat following a season-best six-game winning streak. The Celtics fell 95-90 at last-place Cleveland on Tuesday and also have double-digit losses to sub-.500 teams New Orleans and Detroit during their skid.

"You've got to make your own breaks, and we've got to make ours," coach Doc Rivers said.

Rajon Rondo, who was serving a one-game suspension for the last meeting with the Knicks, had 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists Tuesday. Paul Pierce, though, scored 12 points while going 3 for 15 from the field and is shooting 32.4 percent over his last five.

"We've just got to be better, period," said Garnett, who has scored 16 points in each of his last three. "We've got to try to figure this thing out because it's not going to change itself."

Rondo is averaging 19.3 points and 13.1 assists in his last seven games versus New York, including the playoffs.

Woodson changing starting lineup
Hopefully Prigioni is able to go
Knicks win 91-88

carmelo anthony keeps his mouth shut and puts up 40 points on 18 shots, 8 assists, 12 rebounds.

knicks clobber the celtics.

anthony takes a bow in the middle of the garden floor when the final buzzer sounds.

dk7th wrote:here's what i want to see:

carmelo anthony keeps his mouth shut and puts up 40 points on 18 shots, 8 assists, 12 rebounds.

knicks clobber the celtics.

anthony takes a bow in the middle of the garden floor when the final buzzer sounds.

which then spawns hundreds of threads/polls expressing how Melo is an unprofessional mime who has no business making fun of a true champion like PP.

dk7th wrote:here's what i want to see:

carmelo anthony keeps his mouth shut and puts up 40 points on 18 shots, 8 assists, 12 rebounds.

knicks clobber the celtics.

anthony takes a bow in the middle of the garden floor when the final buzzer sounds.

Would you settle for 34 points on 29 shots, 4 assists and 7 rebounds because that's probably what we are going to get.

jrodmc wrote:

dk7th wrote:here's what i want to see:

carmelo anthony keeps his mouth shut and puts up 40 points on 18 shots, 8 assists, 12 rebounds.

knicks clobber the celtics.

anthony takes a bow in the middle of the garden floor when the final buzzer sounds.

which then spawns hundreds of threads/polls expressing how Melo is an unprofessional mime who has no business making fun of a true champion like PP.

not this time it won't. turnabout is fair play and comeuppance of that nature will be good grist come playoff time. if we are going to beat them we need to be a better team AND get into their heads!

LivingLegend wrote:

dk7th wrote:here's what i want to see:

carmelo anthony keeps his mouth shut and puts up 40 points on 18 shots, 8 assists, 12 rebounds.

knicks clobber the celtics.

anthony takes a bow in the middle of the garden floor when the final buzzer sounds.

Would you settle for 34 points on 29 shots, 4 assists and 7 rebounds because that's probably what we are going to get.

Without Felton yea you are probably right

LivingLegend wrote:

dk7th wrote:here's what i want to see:

carmelo anthony keeps his mouth shut and puts up 40 points on 18 shots, 8 assists, 12 rebounds.

knicks clobber the celtics.

anthony takes a bow in the middle of the garden floor when the final buzzer sounds.

Would you settle for 34 points on 29 shots, 4 assists and 7 rebounds because that's probably what we are going to get.

that is not a winning statline so no i would not settle for that.

dk7th wrote:

LivingLegend wrote:

dk7th wrote:here's what i want to see:

carmelo anthony keeps his mouth shut and puts up 40 points on 18 shots, 8 assists, 12 rebounds.

knicks clobber the celtics.

anthony takes a bow in the middle of the garden floor when the final buzzer sounds.

Would you settle for 34 points on 29 shots, 4 assists and 7 rebounds because that's probably what we are going to get.

that is not a winning statline so no i would not settle for that.

the guy has been a volume shooter his whole career..It's worse when he's the primary ball handler

smackeddog wrote:After that Nets loss, a loss to another despised rival will sink me into my first knick-related depression of the season! Celtics have been slumping lately but they'll up their game vs us. Hopefully we can answer back. My goal once Felton went down, was for us to go 50-50 until he got back- we'll be right on that if we win tonight.

What sucks most about the loss to the Nets is that they currently own
the tie breaker if both teams end the season with the same record.

Really hope this team fights through the injuries and plays with energy
for the whole game. Similar energy that Chicago seems to be able to maintain
this year no matter who is on the floor for them.

dk7th wrote:

LivingLegend wrote:

dk7th wrote:here's what i want to see:

carmelo anthony keeps his mouth shut and puts up 40 points on 18 shots, 8 assists, 12 rebounds.

knicks clobber the celtics.

anthony takes a bow in the middle of the garden floor when the final buzzer sounds.

Would you settle for 34 points on 29 shots, 4 assists and 7 rebounds because that's probably what we are going to get.

that is not a winning statline so no i would not settle for that.

dk listen very carefully that stat line tellS you STFU AND GTFO If kobe did that stat line youd be kissing his A$$

dk7th wrote:

LivingLegend wrote:

dk7th wrote:here's what i want to see:

carmelo anthony keeps his mouth shut and puts up 40 points on 18 shots, 8 assists, 12 rebounds.

knicks clobber the celtics.

anthony takes a bow in the middle of the garden floor when the final buzzer sounds.

Would you settle for 34 points on 29 shots, 4 assists and 7 rebounds because that's probably what we are going to get.

that is not a winning statline so no i would not settle for that.

So you would give up that stat line and take a loss?

If he drops 50 tonight, no one will remember the bus chasing,

Even 40 would go a long way,

but ultimately, let's just get the W