It took a near record-setting collapse in the fourth quarter to wake them up, but the Knicks finally exorcised their playoff demons by eliminating the Celtics with an 88-80 win in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The near botching by the Knicks was apropos considering nothing came easy for the team this series, not even when they built a seemingly comfortable 3-0 series lead. But in the end, New York did just enough to hold off the hard-charging Celtics. Boston was down by as many as 26 points in the fourth quarter, but Jeff Green and Avery Bradley did a number on the Knicks’ defense, cutting the deficit to as low as four points.

Green finished with 21 points, but it was Bradley’s ascension that was the most troubling. He scored all of his 10 points in the final stanza after being shut out by Pablo Prigioni for the first three quarters.

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson acknowledged it wasn’t easy, and the huge run caused some angst, but ultimately all that mattered was his veteran team found a way to overcome the Celtics.

“I’m looking at the big picture. It was a helluva series, and I hope our guys learned a lot from this series, [like] it’s never over ‘til it’s over. We were tested, and we needed that, so hopefully it will carry into the second round against the Pacers,” said Woodson. “They hung in there. With playoff basketball, there are always runs. They’re a great team and made a great run. But we just hung in there. … [Carmelo Anthony] came up big with that big 3-pointer and Iman [Shumpert] made the big steal. They were probably the two biggest plays of the game to give us the cushion.”

The Knicks finally shut the door on the Celtics, as Boston’s comeback attempt fell just short. Anthony had a huge 3-pointer with just over 90 seconds remaining and J.R. Smith had a momentum-killing and-1 bucket and free throw to salt away the game. Anthony finished with 21 points, while Smith added 13 points and seven rebounds.

But the Knicks’ tone was initially set by Prigioni, who had nine points in the first half — all in the opening quarter, and all on 3-pointers. The 35-year-old rookie guard set a career-high by tallying 14 points. He added five rebounds and three assists.

“Guys stayed aggressive. Melo and I always stay aggressive, [but] Ray [Felton], Shump and Pablo stayed aggressive,” Smith said. “Fortunately we had players that stepped up. It was a good test. And Pablo stepped up. He definitely needed to shoot when he was open [because] too many times he’s open and he doesn’t shoot the ball, but this time he shot.”

Prigioni wasn’t the only unsung hero, as his backcourt mate Felton had 11 points, seven assists and two steals. It’s the first time Felton has advanced to the second round. Shumpert, who also advanced to the second round for the first time in his young career, added 17 points (3-of-3 on 3-pointers), six rebounds and three steals — and added a key coast-to-coast steal and layup to finally end the Celtics’ amazing run.

“Everyone did what they had to do to get us out of this series. You need that in the playoffs. Sometimes you don’t know where it’s going to come from, but it’s nice,” Woodson said. “I didn’t know where it’d come from tonight, but Pablo and Iman stepped up big time.”

The man Shumpert was draped all over, Paul Pierce, had a miserable shooting night, going 4-of-18 from the field. Kevin Garnett added 15 points and 10 rebounds in what was possibly the final time the Hall of Fame duo will play together.

The Knicks earned the 4-2 series win on the strength of a stifling defense that never allowed the Celtics to surpass the 100-point mark in any of the six games.

The win was great, as the Knicks advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 13 years — and will face the Pacers on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in Game 1 — but Woodson said they’re far from reaching their goals.

“I knew it wasn’t over, because you have to play four quarters. But we withstood the run and now it’s on to round two,” said Woodson. “We just made a step tonight, but there’s still a few more steps to go before we get to where we want to be.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Knicks hold off Celtics charge, advance to second round appeared first on Metro.us.

The Celtics reached down and relied on their fabled pride as they staved off elimination for yet another game, as they shocked the Knicks, 92-86, in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Boston has now climbed back into the series as they’re down 3-2, but with Game 6 back in Beantown, there’s now a real possibility that both teams will be playing again in New York Sunday at the Garden for a Game 7.

“I thought we came out ready to play, but then they got that thrust that they needed early and I don’t think we responded. Nobody said it was going to be easy, but now it’s a series. We had an opportunity to close it,” Woodson said. “But at the end of the day we still control our own destiny and there’s a lot more basketball left to be played. … I think we’re fine. Sure, we would’ve loved to have closed it out, but they’re competitive. They’re fighting, too. But now we need to see what we’re made of in Boston.”

The Knicks apparently forgot the memo that the hardest thing to do in the NBA playoffs is to close out a series — no matter how big of a lead — because the Celtics scratched and clawed their way out of an early 11-0 deficit to actually take a 45-39 lead at the half.

Jeff Green led a balanced Celtics’ attack with 18 points, as four others reached double figures in scoring. Kevin Garnett was dominant in the post as he notched 16 points and a game-high 18 rebounds, while Paul Pierce had 16 points and Jason Terry added 17 points off the bench. Even Brandon Bass, who’s not known for his offense, added 17 points in 41 minutes of action for a Celtics team that only played seven players.

Carmelo Anthony did all he could to keep the Celtics at bay as he tallied a team-high 22 points, but he needed 24 shots to do so. It also didn’t help as he got no help from his sidekick, J.R. Smith, who at one point shot 0-for-10 from the floor. Smith finished with just 14 points on 3-of-14 shooting.

Woodson shot down the theory that Smith was forcing the issue to show his value to the team after leaving them hanging in Game 4.

“He missed shots, but he took some tough shots, too. It was a struggle for him pretty much the whole game. We have to get him in position to not let him struggle anymore, because we need him to score the basketball,” Woodson said, adding that the absence of Steve Novak in the second half added a big burden to his bench. “We were shorthanded because Novak’s back went out on him, so we couldn’t come back to him, so offensively we were searching.”

Smith, who said afterward he’s a “streaky shooter,” admitted that maybe he pressed too much.

“I was extremely anxious. A lot of fans got me hyped and I couldn’t wait to play,” Smith said. “I think we got too excited, so we need to stay patient, stay humble and try and get the next one.”

Staying humble and patient are keys, but Woodson would rather just see his team put the ball in the basket with more frequency.

“I like what we’re doing defensively, because any time you hold a team to 92 points at home that’s a good thing. We still held them to less than 95 points, but we’re having trouble on offense,” Woodson said. “We have to find some offense somewhere. Raymond [Felton] was solid, but we’re just not getting into our offense. … We’re laboring and our pace has to pick up. We have to do something differently and come up with another plan.”

Felton was the Knicks’ most efficient scorer as he continued his stellar play in this series. He had 21 points, six rebounds and four assists, but no one else in orange and blue was able to apply pressure.

Knicks notes …

» Dave Roberts corollary, anyone? Roberts, the one-time spunky Boston Red Sox outfielder has a spot in the hearts of Boston sports’ fans forever with his role in the Sox’s historic comeback from an 0-3 deficit to the New York Yankees to win the 2004 American League Championship Series. It was Roberts’s steal of second base in the ninth inning of Game 4 that sparked Boston to a 12-inning win, and is credited as the signature move of the Sox’s path to the World Series. Jason Terry’s chin could have that same effect, as the elbow he took from J.R. Smith in Game 3 apparently awakened the Celtics and also resulted in Smith’s one-game suspension for Game 4. Terry has gotten hot since, including nine points in Game 4’s overtime win and 17 points (including five 3-pointers) off the bench Wednesday night, as the fiery guard has relished being an antagonist to the Knicks.

» Terry’s shooting has been a thorn in the Knicks’ side the last two games, but the Knicks aren’t doing themselves any favors either. New York shot a surprising 1-of-6 from 3-pointers in the first half, and finished a meager 5-of-22 from behind the arc. The Celtics, conversely, shot 11-of-22 in 3-pointers.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Series slipping away as Knicks never in Game 5 appeared first on Metro.us.

J.R. Smith made it clear he believes the Knicks would’ve won Game 4 had he not been suspended. As for who he was suspended for elbowing, he’s not yet ready to speak of him.

“Huh? Who? I don’t even know who that is. I’m sorry,” Smith would say any time either the elbow incident or Jason Terry’s name was brought up.

The only time Smith acknowledged Terry’s existence was when he alluded to the fact Terry engaged in questionable tactics, causing the Smith to swing his elbow.

“[Terry’s action] was [below the belt], but it doesn’t matter. … There are some things that just don’t need to be discussed,” Smith said.

Smith, who acknowledged he’s “vital to the team,” then concluded that he’s learned his lesson. But in doing so, he may have also inadvertently given the Celtics some bulletin-board material.

“We had a minor hiccup, but then again we still had a chance to win,” he said. “I’m just glad to be back and move on. … But, oh yeah, it [the series] would’ve been over. I’d have been playing golf today.”

Instead, the Knicks got back to work on Tuesday, two days after a tense defeat in Boston.

But as heart-wrenching as the loss was, considering the Knicks fought all the way back from a 19-point deficit and forced overtime before falling in the extra frame, their spirits are still very high.

“We can’t think that because we’re up 3-1 that they’re just going to hand it to us,” Carmelo Anthony said about the Celtics’ resolve. “They did a great job of competing and fighting back in Game 4. But now we have a chance to do something special here.”

Head coach Mike Woodson added that he didn’t have to warn his team about overconfidence and he trusts his squad will be focused.

Woodson is a veteran of the game and knows how playoff momentum can swing in an instant. The reason Woodson and Co. are so guarded against overconfidence is because should the Celtics upset the Knicks in Game 5, it sends the series back to Beantown for Game 6. Then all the pressure falls at the feet of the No. 2-seeded Knicks

First thing’s first, though, said Woodson, who noted his squad is totally locked in to close out the series in Game 5.

“Well, it’s big-time urgency on our part, [but] we played the regular season for this. We were able to go to Boston and get a game on the road, so now we’re in position to close this out at home,” Woodson said. “This is a new group in these playoffs, and in playoff basketball anything is liable to happen. But if we play with high energy, we usually come out with a win. .. Close-out games aren’t easy, but I feel confident playing here.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post J.R. Smith won’t acknowledge Jason Terry, elbow incident appeared first on Metro.us.

The Knicks strolled into Boston’s TD Garden undermanned and ready to close out the series via a sweep, but ended up coming up just short in a 97-90 overtime defeat.

New York now leads the series, 3-1, but had every intention of coming back home without the Celtics in tow. Paul Pierce and Jeff Green made sure the Celtics would be making a return trip to New York, as they poured in 29 points and 26 points, respectively. Kevin Garnett, who’s been battling a hip pointer all series, also came up big for a desperate Celtics team as he added 13 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.

The Knicks almost pulled off a historic comeback as they stormed back from down 20 points in the third quarter and made it a nip-and-tuck affair in the fourth quarter. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be for the Knicks as they couldn’t get the necessary stops down the stretch — particularly on shots from Jason Terry (nine points in overtime) — or make the key buckets.

It also didn’t help that Carmelo Anthony went ice cold, shooting 10-of-35. He started 0-of-5 from the field in the first quarter and 3-of-15 for the half — the latter stat being the most missed field goals for his career in a playoff game.

Anthony, who still finished with a game-high 36 points, got little help from his supporting cast. The bench was outscored, 22-7. NBA Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith didn’t play after being hit with a one-game suspension after he connected with an elbow on Jason Terry’s face near the end of Game 3.

What we saw …

1. The Knicks led the league in least amount of turnovers (11.7), and were very prudent in that category in the first three games. No so in Game 4, as they committed 15 turnovers — including 12 in the first half. The Knicks were so cavalier with the ball that they had more giveaways than actual made field goals (11) in the first half.

2. Smith wasn’t seen by Knicks fans as he was serving a one-game suspension for his errant elbow. Smith was sorely missed as the Knicks’ offense was stagnant, shooting 34.4 percent, and their bench was nonexistent. Terry led the way with 18 points off the Celtics’ bench, including nine in overtime.

3. The Knicks couldn’t rebound and pull off the historic comeback win, but they did rebound on the glass nicely by hammering the Celtics, 54-40. Garnett led Boston with 17 rebounds, but got very little help from his teammates — particularly frontline mates Jeff Green (six) and Brandon Bass (four), who also fouled out with four minutes remaining. Iman Shumpert had an impressive 12 rebounds, while Tyson Chandler added 11 boards.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Celtics still alive after holding off Knicks in OT appeared first on Metro.us.

The Knicks are one step closer to finally getting out of the first round of the NBA playoffs.

At the same time, New York most likely ended the current batch of Celtics’ reign, as they dominated in a 90-76 win in Game 3.

Led by Carmelo Anthony’s game-high 26 points, the Knicks took a commanding 3-0 series lead and have put the Celtics’ season on life support. But bigger than Anthony’s scoring was the fact that the Knicks’ defense held the Celtics below 80 points for the third consecutive game.

The Knicks sat every starter but Pablo Prigioni by the time the fourth quarter rolled around, with New York up 68-52. Prigioni enjoyed a breakout game as he tallied all nine of his points in the first half – all on 3-pointers.

Boston was led by Jeff Green’s 21 points, but they didn’t matter much because the home team was overmatched essentially from the opening tip. Paul Pierce added 17 points, while Kevin Garnett had 12 points and a game-high 17 rebounds in a losing effort.

Anthony began Game 3 shooting just 2-of-7, continuing his trend of starting slowly, but he rebounded nicely to finish 12-of-25 from the field. He was also aided by point guard Raymond Felton, who enjoyed a career night with 15 points and a career playoff-high 10 assists.

The Knicks’ win was huge in many aspects, as they’re not only one game away from an unthinkable sweep, but they also earned their first road playoff win in 12 years and their first playoff win in Boston in 23 years. One more victory and they’ll have the chance to rest and wait for a likely second-round matchup with the Pacers.

What we saw …

1. He actually shot and scored

Prigioni wasn’t the best player on the floor, but he was maybe the coolest. It is Prigioni’s first venture into the fierce NBA playoffs, but the 35-year-old rookie never wavered – not as the Celtics tried to get the partisan crowd in a frenzy at the start of the game, and not even as the Celtics tried to pressure the Knicks guards early to get them out of rhythm. Prigioni only had nine points, but the fact that the often-reticent shooter squeezed off six shots is newsworthy. Larger than that impact, though, was his calming influence on offense as the lead guard and his game-high five steals on defense set the tone.

2. Lived by the 3

The Knicks started hot from behind the arc (4-of-8 in the first quarter) and stayed that way for most of the game (11-of-27) to keep the Celtics on their heels. New York, which set an NBA regular-season record for most 3-point attempts in a season, was led by Prigioni’s three triples. Boston, conversely, is not known for their long-range efficiency and it was painfully obvious they couldn’t keep pace. They shot only 6-of-19 (31.6 percent) on 3-pointers.

3. Bench Mobbed

The Knicks didn’t need much scoring because the Celtics couldn’t find the bucket either, but their bench did enjoy some success. New York’s reserves held a 30-10 advantage over their Boston counterparts. J.R. Smith, who was ejected for throwing an elbow at the head of Jason Terry late in the fourth quarter, led all subs with 15 points. Steve Novak added eight points on 2-of-3 shooting on 3-pointers, but even that output would’ve led all Boston reserves.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Knicks take commanding 3-0 series lead on Boston appeared first on Metro.us.

The old axiom about the NBA playoffs is that a series doesn’t truly begin until a team loses on its home floor. For one half, it looked like the Celtics officially kicked off this series.

But the luck of the leprechaun didn’t follow them back onto the floor for the second half, as the Knicks dismantled their rival, 87-71, in Game 2 of the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Celtics initially used a stifling defense and a balanced offense to keep the Knicks off-balance, as Paul Pierce led the way for Boston by scoring 10 of his 18 points in the first half. Pierce, along with guys like Jeff Green and Brandon Bass, made life miserable for Carmelo Anthony at first, as the league’s scoring champ shot a horrid 3-of-11 in the first half for 15 points. But Anthony acquitted himself nicely in the second half, specifically the third quarter, when he scored 13 of his game-high 34 points.

“It was a tale of two halves for me shooting the ball,” Anthony said. “We came out in the third quarter and extended our defense to full-court pressure, which then opened up our offensive game. We just buckled down on our defensive end, and that was the key tonight. … Our defense is what makes us win basketball games.”

Anthony was joined by J.R. Smith, who added 19 points on an efficient 7-of-15 shooting to help the Knicks hold serve by winning their first two games at home. Raymond Felton added 16 points to provide a great third option for a Knicks team that has been searching for a sure-fire one all season.

“This is very important. You’re talking about if you’re trying to win a title, you need everyone to chip in,” head coach Mike Woodson said. “I have a lot confidence in Melo, but I also have a lot of confidence in everyone on this team. We’re going to need everybody. It’s not going to be a one-man show. There are times when he might struggle, and that’s when the other guys are going to have to step up.”

Felton’s backcourt mate Pablo Prigioni certainly stepped up as he returned to the lineup after missing Game 1 with a sprained ankle. And while his return didn’t garner any fanfare, his impact was felt, as he helped shut down Boston’s perimeter players. Prigioni had only one point, but he added a team-high five assists and had a steal. Prigioni’s real impact was the way he neutralized Celtics shooting guard Avery Bradley, who had a nice showing in the first game. Prigioni was back in the rotation and gave Bradley fits, as the lightning-quick guard scored only six points on just 2-of-5 shooting.

“Pablo’s return gave us another guy that could help run our team and give us a defensive presence out front guarding the ball,” said Woodson. “I thought offensively we were awful [in Game 1]. But those [holes] were some of the things that we got a chance to look at over the last few days, and it helped having Pablo back in the lineup again.”

Prigioni wasn’t alone in the destruction of the Celtics. Kenyon Martin flexed his muscles again by adding game highs in rebounds (11) and blocked shots (four) in 23 minutes off the bench.

Overall, it was total Knicks domination in the second half, as the Celtics were held to a franchise-low 23 second-half points. Woodson, though, said he’s already been warning his team not to expect the Celtics to lay down for them as the series now shifts back to Boston.

“We defended our home court, that’s it. But that’s why we worked so hard to have that advantage,” Woodson said. “But it’s going to be a different series when we go up there. It’s going to be a hostile environment, so we’ll almost have to play perfect basketball, because we can’t expect to just go in there and blow them out.”

Game 3 will be Friday night in Boston, but if the Celtics continue their lackluster scoring and the Knicks continue to flip that switch and eviscerate the Celtics’ defense, there might not be any need to come back to the Garden for a Game 5.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Knicks pull away from Celtics in second half of Game 2 appeared first on Metro.us.

The Knicks struck first in what should be a long and drawn out first-round matchup with the Boston Celtics, as they held on for an 85-78 win Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.

Led by Carmelo Anthony’s game-high 36 points, the second-seeded Knicks showed the seventh-seeded Celtics that things won’t be as easy as they were the last time these long-time rivals met in the 2011 playoffs.

Anthony didn’t start off shooting particularly well (9-of-24), but he got hot late and finished 13-of-29 from the field, and was effective enough down the stretch on both ends of the floor, including a key steal in the final two minutes that led to a bucket. He finished with a game-high four steals, and was aided by J.R. Smith’s 15 points and five rebounds, as the Knicks managed to escape. Smith, who has masterfully played the part of Anthony’s sidekick all season, also executed solid defense down the stretch to spark the Knicks, including a couple of steals late as the Celtics were clawing back into the game.

Anthony certainly appreciated the effort of his team, acknowledging how big it was to strike first.

“This was a big game for us to get, [because] it was on our home court,” Anthony said, already trying to temper the frantic expectations of the rabid faithful. “We didn’t do nothing except protect our home court. We have to do the same thing in Game 2.”

Jason Kidd (eight points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals) played big down the stretch. He didn’t make anyone harken back to his MVP-type seasons during his New Jersey Nets days, but what Kidd did was leave an imprint on the game like only he can at this stage of his career. The 40-year-old guard had a key steal and a big rebound down the stretch, including one theft that set up a clutch 18-foot jumper from Anthony to extend the lead to five with barely 90 seconds remaining.

Head coach Mike Woodson was impressed with the way Kidd made an impact in crunch-time.

“Jason has been doing this all season,” Woodson said. “Loose balls, strips, keeping balls alive. He just always seems to be in the right place at the right time.”

Even Celtics’ head coach Doc Rivers was impressed with Kidd’s imprint.

“He beats everyone with his brain,” Rivers said.

Anthony not only beat the Celtics with his basketball IQ, but like Kidd, he also managed to be in the right place at the right time late in the game when he had a sweet assist to Kenyon Martin for the easy layup. It pushed the lead back up to seven with 41 seconds remaining, essentially salting away the game. It was Martin who gave the Knicks the best chance to win down the stretch with his energy and ability to cash in around the rim against the vaunted defense.

Tyson Chandler’s minutes (20 total) suffered as a result of Martin’s presence, but Woodson said to not read too much into things going forward, as he was merely going with the hot hand.

“Tyson just didn’t have it tonight [and] that’s no knock on him,” Woodson insisted. “He gave us what he had and I just elected to go with Kenyon.”

For his part, Chandler downplayed his uneven performance, and said he “felt great” after the game. The veteran pivot said if anything his conditioning isn’t peak yet, but his malaise had nothing to do with the bulging disk in his neck.

Regardless, a win’s a win and the Knicks will take it, especially since they outperformed the Celtics on the defensive end — something Rivers and Co. typically take great pride in doing themselves. The Knicks as a whole played outstanding defense, even without the reigning Defensive Player of the Year at his peak playing performance yet. Their collective effort was felt particularly in the fourth quarter, as they limited the Celtics to just eight points. Boston only mustered a .415 percent shooting from the field for the game.

The Celtics were led by Jeff Green, who surprisingly led the Celtics with 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Green sparked the Celtics from the opening tip, as he notched 20 points and two blocks in the first half.

Paul Pierce, usually the Celtics’ go-to guy, added 21 points on 6-of-15 shooting, as he started the game more as a facilitator — something Celtics’ fans have grown used to seeing without the presence of a true point guard. Pierce, who’s known more for his scoring than dishing, started off by trying to get others involved with six of his team-high seven assists coming in the first half. Avery Bradley added 15 points and three steals in a losing effort.

Things started off very well for Boston as it led 29-26 after one and 53-49 at the half. This was the type of game the Celtics wanted to play because the tempo was slower paced and the buckets hard to come by. Neither team was truly able to form any kind of offensive flow, as the Knicks’ offense was also stymied for most of the game (.405 percent from the field). New York only had two starters score in double figures (Raymond Felton had 13 points), making this defensive-struggle of a win all the more refreshing and confidence boosting for the Knicks.

The post NBA Playoffs: Knicks scrap by Celtics in Game 1 appeared first on Metro.us.

1. Miami Heat (64-16, previous No. 1) - Well, Dwyane Wade is back, and the Heat look ready for the postseason. They might even consider resting LeBron James and Wade for the entire series with Milwaukee in preparation for an actual challenge.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (59-21, previous No. 2) – Kevin Durant was fined $25,000 for a “menacing gesture” last week, but what he and the Thunder do in the Western Conference should be even more menacing.

3. San Antonio Spurs (58-22, previous No. 4) - The Spurs weathered the storm that was the 2012-13 NBA regular season. But do they have enough left in the tank to go deep into the postseason? It’ll be tough.

4. Memphis Grizzlies (54-26 previous No. 3) - What to make of Memphis’ 91-87 loss to the Clippers over the weekend? One, it could be an opening round playoff preview. Two, it should be a very entertaining one.

5. Los Angeles Clippers (54-26, previous No. 5) - A win over the Griz before the postseason does wonders for L.A.’s confidence. It also helps that it could give them homecourt advantage over them.

6. New York Knicks (53-27, previous No. 6) - The Knicks beat up on the Celtics pretty good in the regular season, but make no mistake: they aren’t thrilled about their opening round matchup.

7. Denver Nuggets (55-25, previous No. 7) - On the day point guard Ty Lawson returned, Kenneth Faried sprained his left ankle. Hopefully it’s not serious, because they’ll need all hands (and ankles) on deck without Danilo Gallinari.

8. Indiana Pacers (49-31, previous No. 8) - Roy Hibbert is playing at a higher level over the second half of the season. The Pacers should be fine against a banged up Bulls team or a Hawks team that lacks an identity.

10. Brooklyn Nets (47-33, previous No. 10) - The team that nobody is talking about could give the Heat more trouble than we all think in the second round. Deron Williams is playing as good as anybody.

9. Houston Rockets (45-35, previous No. 9) - The Rockets are the only Western Conference playoff team with a losing record against Western Conference teams. Beating up on the Eastern Conference won’t help them now.

11. Golden State Warriors (45-35, previous No. 11) - The Warriors seem to be that team that every other team in the Western Conference wants to play. Can they use that as fuel? Or will they just prove all those teams right?

12. Chicago Bulls (43-37, previous No. 12) - It feels more and more like the season of “what could have been” for Chicago. Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson are banged up now. Derrick Rose doesn’t appear to be suiting up this season, either.

13. Boston Celtics (41-39, previous No. 13) - The Celtics may not have depth on their side. Or age. But one thing they’ve never lacked is confidence, and often times that’s all a team needs.

14. Atlanta Hawks (44-36, previous No. 14) - He seems to go under the radar just about every year, but Al Horford is the type of player every team wants. Can play both power forward and center effectively on both ends.

15. Los Angeles Lakers (44-37, previous No. 15) - It’s an absolute shame that Kobe Bryant is lost for the season after doing everything in his power to get his team into the playoffs. Can Dwight carry them now?

16. Utah Jazz (42-38, previous No. 16) - The Jazz didn’t trade Al Jefferson or Paul Millsap at the deadline, could lose both now, and it’s looking like they’ll miss the postseason. What a season …

17. Milwaukee Bucks (37-43, previous No. 17) - No truth to the rumor that the Bucks are raising a banner with the words “Just Happy to be Here” written on it before the Heat series.

18. Dallas Mavericks (40-40, previous No. 18) - The Dallas Mavericks all finally shaved their beards on Sunday . . . because they reached .500 on the season. Congrats?

19. Philadelphia 76ers (33-47, previous 20) - Reports are that Doug Collins will resign as head coach after the season. Not a big surprise. It was pretty clear that, like everybody else, he had had enough with that team.

20. Toronto Raptors (32-48, previous – ) - All the Raptors are doing now is costing themselves ping pong balls. Should have followed the Trail Blazers lead to end the season (an 11-game losing streak).

The post NBA Power Rankings: The playoffs are here! appeared first on Metro.us.

1. Miami Heat (60-16, previous No. 1) – LeBron James is back, but word is that Dwyane Wade (knee) could be out until the postseason. The Heat don’t need him now, obviously, but that’s certainly something to monitor.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (56-21, previous No. 3) – The Thunder are just one game out of the top spot in the West, which would line them up with the Jazz in the opening round. Tuesday, in Utah, could be a preview of that one.

3. Memphis Grizzlies (52-25 previous No. 4) - Often times it’s the toughest team – not the better team – that advances in the postseason. The Griz have “grit and grind” on their side. Is that enough to carry them?

4. San Antonio Spurs (57-20, previous No. 5) – The Spurs’ last three losses are to the Thunder, Grizzlies, and Heat. That’s not a good way to prove you belong as the No. 1 seed. Health, as always, is the main concern.

5. Los Angeles Clippers (51-26, previous No. 6) – The good news: The Clippers are healthy and determined to leave the Lakers’ shadow. The bad news: More shots of the Kardashians (and Kanye!) sitting courtside.

6. New York Knicks (50-26, previous No. 9) - Twelve straight wins, including the latest over Oklahoma City on Sunday. Melo looks great. Maybe this team is “realer” than we gave them credit for … maybe.

7. Denver Nuggets (53-24, previous No. 2) – Danilo Gallinari blew out his ACL last week, which is an absolute shame. It’ll be tough for Denver to compete in the postseason without him. *sheds a few tears*

8. Indiana Pacers (48-29, previous No. 7) - The Pacers clinched their first Central Division crown in nine years on Sunday after the Bulls lost to the Pistons. This team has bigger goals than that, though.

9. Houston Rockets (43-34, previous No. 8) – If Denver remains the No. 3 seed, it’ll come down to Houston or Golden State as its first-round opponent. That’s a matchup both of those team want now with Gallinari out.

10. Brooklyn Nets (44-32, previous No. 10) - If Brooklyn is to play Chicago in the first round, The Prokhorov will make sure that Derrick Rose is nowhere to be found. But can he make the Heat disappear the next round?

11. Golden State Warriors (44-33, previous No. 11) - Warriors Head Coach Mark Jackson desperately wants his team to be tough and “old school.” We aren’t quite sure they’re either of those things, especially if they hope to make noise in May.

12. Chicago Bulls (42-34, previous No. 12) - Derrick Rose is still keeping the option of playing this season open. His return would help an offense ranked dead last in points per game (92.8). Dude, decide already.

13. Boston Celtics (40-37, previous No. 14) – The Celtics say they don’t care who they play in the first round. With Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce returning on Sunday, you have to take them for their word. Give them this – they are fighters.

14. Atlanta Hawks (42-36, previous No. 13) – Losers of three in a row, Atlanta isn’t doing much to instill confidence in anybody associated with the team. They’re going in the wrong direction, and will be put to rest by the Knicks or Pacers in the first round.

15. Los Angeles Lakers (40-37, previous No. 15) - The Lakers go into Tuesday a half-game behind the Jazz for the eighth seed. Utah has the Thunder. L.A. has the Hornets. This battle could go down to the final game.

16. Utah Jazz (41-37, previous No. 17) - You have to hand it to the Jazz. It appeared that the Lakers were going to take the eighth seed from under them, but they are 7-1 in their last eight games. Can they hold off L.A.?

17. Milwaukee Bucks (37-39, previous No. 16) – The only way Milwaukee will have a chance to beat the Heat is if Dwyane Wade really is injured. And LeBron James. And Chris Bosh. And … you get the idea.

18. Dallas Mavericks (38-39, previous No. 18) - Losses to the Lakers and Nuggets just about sealed the fate of the Mavs, who will most likely miss their first postseason this century.

19. Washington Wizards (29-48, previous) - The Wizards were bad – really bad – without John Wall. But since the star point guard’s return, they’ve gone 24-20, which is very respectable.

20. Philadelphia 76ers (31-45, previous 20) - Good news for Sixers fans: Andrew Bynum has been playing a ton of NBA 2K13 on XBOX in preparation for next season.

The post NBA Power Rankings: Gallinari injury sends Nuggets down the ranks appeared first on Metro.us.

1. Miami Heat (58-15, previous No. 1) – The streak is snapped, which could be a good thing in the long run. After all, it allowed the heat to sit LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers vs. the Spurs . . . and still win.

2. Denver Nuggets (50-24, previous No. 2) – There’s a three-team race for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, and the Nuggets are just barely ahead of the Grizzlies and Clippers. They kill teams at home, so that’s big.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder (54-20, previous No. 3) – Four days off for the No. 2-seeded Thunder before a big game on Thursday against the No. 1-seeded Spurs. This top seed is still up for grabs, unlike in the East. OKC should win this one at home.

4. Memphis Grizzlies (49-24 previous No. 6) - Grizzlies-Clippers in the first round of the playoffs would be appointment television … Assuming it’s not played on Sunday nights around 9 p.m.. Tyrion Lannister would NOT be happy.

5. San Antonio Spurs (55-18, previous No. 5) - Here’s some not-so-shocking news: Another key member of the Spurs is out again. Manu Ginobili is expected to miss 3-4 weeks with a right hamstring strain. No bueno, Los Spurs.

6. Los Angeles Clippers (49-25, previous No. 4) – The Clippers lost to the Rockets by 17 without James Harden. I don’t know about you, but they’re just too streaky to trust in the postseason. I’ll take the other coach over Vinny Del Negro.

7. Indiana Pacers (47-27, previous No. 7) - The Pacers went into Monday’s game in L.A. against the Clippers winners of three road games in a row. That’s a great sign for a team that’s had trouble away from home.

8. Houston Rockets (40-33, previous No. 8) - The Rockets could go into the postseason with some serious momentum. Seven of their final nine games are against current non-playoff teams. But teams that have beaten up on them await there.

9. New York Knicks (46-26, previous No. 12) – And just like that, the Knicks are winners of eight in a row. They’re doing it without Tyson Chandler too, which is more impressive. If it’s Celtics-Knicks in Round 1, Boston 100 percent needs Kevin Garnett – we know that.

11. Golden State Warriors (42-32, previous No. 11) - The Warriors have been fun to watch at times this year – on offense anyways – but the Nuggets would literally eat them up and spit them out in a first round matchup.

12. Chicago Bulls (40-33, previous No. 15) – Derrick Rose is waiting for a sign from God to let him know he’s ready to play. Well, what if God isn’t a Bulls fan? Ever think of that, Derrick?

13. Atlanta Hawks (41-33, previous No. 9) – Credit the Hawks for being in the position that they’re in, but they aren’t deep enough or mentally tough enough to do damage in the postseason. Josh Smith, you are the weakest link. Goodbye.

14. Boston Celtics (38-35, previous No. 13) – We don’t have a point guard … we don’t have a center… our pets heads are falling off! Boston needs to get right before the playoffs, or they’ll be watching them on TV like the rest of us. Except on nicer TVs.

15. Los Angeles Lakers (38-36, previous No. 14) – You can’t help but think that if the Lakers just get to the playoffs, they could make things interesting. But can they get there before they all kill each other?

16. Milwaukee Bucks (35-37, previous No. 16) - The Bucks are going to need to get in touch with Ryan Braun’s people – and fast – if they want a shot at competing with the Heat. And that’s not a knock on them.

17. Utah Jazz (36-37, previous No. 18) – Four straight wins for the Jazz heading into Monday night. They’re hanging onto that eight seed for dear life. It’s almost like they don’t know they’ll have to play four games against the Spurs or Thunder if they get there.

18. Dallas Mavericks (36-37, previous No. 17) – It’s great to see Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs make some noise down the stretch. It almost drowns out all the noise Mark Cuban makes from the sidelines.

19. Portland Trail Blazers (33-40, previous No. 19) - They were 4.5 games out of a playoff spot on Mondyay, with the Mavs and Lakers ahead of them trying to get in. Time for the Blazers to start booking those offseason vacations. Tip: Avoid cruises.

20. Philadelphia 76ers (30-43, previous 20) – “Did somebody say offseason vacations?” – Andrew Bynum, as he books his fourth vacation of the NBA regular season…

The post NBA Power Rankings: Time for Heat to start a new streak? appeared first on Metro.us.

The Knicks have seemingly exorcised their personal Beantown demons, as they knocked off the Celtics, 108-89, Sunday night.

The win not only essentially ended the Celtics’ five-year stranglehold on the Atlantic Division, as the Knicks (46-26) now lead third-place Boston (38-35) by five games, but it also gave New York the edge in the season series, 3-1, which is the first time since the 2003-04 season.

Carmelo Antony managed to finally outshine red-hot teammate J.R. Smith, as he notched a team-high 24 points. Anthony also added 10 rebounds and two steals to help the Knicks win their season-high eighth straight victory. Smith was once again efficient as he tallied 15 points and a team-high 12 rebounds.

The Knicks also beat the Celtics on the glass for the second time in as many matchups, as they earned a 41-37 advantage. Defensively they did enough to curtail a Celtics attack that was missing Kevin Garnett (foot). Jeff Green had 27 points, while Paul Pierce added 24 points, but they were the only two Celtics to look comfortable.

Kenyon Martin, who sat out the fourth quarter for precautionary reasons with a strained left abdominal muscle, said the key was the way the Knicks were playing defense and not allowing the Celtics’ supporting cast to get hot.

“[We were] talking, being active, and limiting them to just one possession,” said Martin. “We were just competing, contesting shots, and keeping them off the glass.”

Just as impressive as their rebounding and defense was the fact the Knicks had a robust shooting percentage from behind the arc. They shot a collective 14-of-27 for 51.9 percent. The Knicks’ marksmanship was on full display from the opening tip, as they knocked down 11-of-16 from behind the arc in the first half, including a halfcourt 3-pointer at the buzzer by Raymond Felton. Five of the seven Knicks players who knocked down 3-pointers had at least two.

Felton had a wry smile afterward when discussing his halfcourt heave and said he’s been getting good looks like that all the time, thanks to the presence of Smith and Anthony.

“When you have guys like J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony that command double-teams, you’re bound to get easy shots,” said Felton. “Our defense has been great and our offensive spacing has been great. Everyone is playing together as a team. … I feel like we’re playing on the same level as [the top teams] and have our own hot streak.”

New York has been hot from behind the arc almost all season, as they’ve lived and died by the three all season. Their league-leading 28.7 attempts per game from behind the arc is a testament to that philosophy.

But while critics will note that no team in league history has ever won a title by using the 3-point shot as its primary weapon, should the Knicks continue this torrid stretch into the postseason, they may dispel that thinking.

The Knicks had 15 assists on 21 made field goals in the first half, and finished with an astonishing 23 assists on their 35 made field goals. The bench also did its share by outscoring the Celtics reserves, 50-32.

Head coach Mike Woodson said he likes how the team is playing as cohesive as they’ve done since the torrid 18-5 start to the season.

“It’s important,” Woodson said when asked how crucial it was for the Knicks to regain their mojo heading down the stretch. “Every game is important in terms of us staying in front of our division and staying at that No. 2 spot [in the Eastern Conference]. We’re back to playing like the way we started the season. The ball is moving and it doesn’t matter who’s shooting the ball. Everyone is only concerned about winning. … We knew this was going to be a tough month. But we played it hard like we wanted to get some things accomplished, like staying in front of the division.”

The Knicks finished 12-6 in March.

Knicks notes

» Woodson said he’s not sure about Chandler’s availability for Tuesday’s important tilt in Miami, but he’ll have a better idea during Monday’s practice.

“We’ll do individual stuff with him. Maybe have him do some one-on-one with Chris [Copeland]. He’s played a lot of basketball this year, from last season’s playoffs, to the Olympics and now this season, so I don’t need to see much from him to know when he’s ready. If he tells me he’s ready to play, I have no problem putting him in there again.”

» Copeland is still learning the ropes as a 29-year-old rookie, especially on defense. Woodson said he knows Copeland can put the ball in the hole, as he scored 22 points against the Celtics, but if he wants to see more playing time, he’ll need to ratchet up his defensive intensity.

“The thing about Chris, we know he can score the ball. We just need to get him up to speed with our defensive principles. He’s getting better but he has a long way to go. He still needs his reps and is still new to the league.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Knicks wipe out Celtics, extend streak to eight wins appeared first on Metro.us.

The undermanned Knicks went to Boston and took care of business with a 100-85 win, and not only gave the Celtics their fifth-straight defeat, but also all but ended the Celtics’ dreams of catching their rivals for the Atlantic Division crown.

New York (43-26) now has a 7 1/2-game lead over Boston (36-34), while also bumping up their lead over the idle Nets to 2 1/2 games.

J.R. Smith led all scorers with 32 points, including 21 in the first half, as he tormented the Celtics with a very efficient performance off the bench, shooting 13-of-24. Smith also added seven rebounds (four offensive) and three steals. Carmelo Anthony actually played the rare role of sidekick, as he added 29 points. Anthony also grabbed eight rebounds and had three steals.

The Knicks didn’t have the services of Tyson Chandler, but his pivot position was ably filled by Kenyon Martin, who added nine points and five rebounds. Martin’s impact was even bigger in other areas that won’t be noticed by the casual fan, as he was a true enforcer of the paint for a small Knicks lineup that actually led the Celtics with points in the paint in the first half (32-22) to set the tone. Martin’s four offensive rebounds also greatly contributed to the Knicks’ 27-4 advantage in second-chance points through three quarters when the game was still in doubt.

What we learned …

1. Start fast. The Knicks did what every team needs to do when entering the hostile environment of the Boston Garden, and that’s set the tone. The Knicks did just that as they led 58-44 at the half. Their opening-half highlights included a plus-19 in second-chance points; a plus-10 advantage in points off turnovers; a plus-7 advantage in fastbreak points; a 30-20 scoring advantage in the second quarter; and a momentum-killing 14-0 run in the middle of the second quarter.

2. No Chandler, no problem. Chandler missed yet another game with a bulging disk in his neck, despite being upgraded to questionable following Monday’s practice. Chandler wasn’t missed at all, as the Knicks actually outrebounded the Celtics, 41-40. It helped that Boston was without their best big man, Kevin Garnett (foot), but the Celtics players who actually got in the game had very little impact in the paint.

3. Forty is just a number. Jason Kidd turned 40 years old last week, but he was as effective Tuesday night as he’s been all season. Kidd did a little bit of everything, as he tallied five points, six rebounds and one steal in 23 minutes off the bench. Kidd also did the intangibles that won’t show up in the box score as he drew multiple charges on the Celtics, while stifling Boston’s sparkplug of a shooting guard, Avery Bradley, who only registered six points on 3-of-11 shooting.

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Knicks take care of business with win in Boston appeared first on Metro.us.

1. Miami Heat (55-14, previous No. 1) – As good as the Miami Heat are playing right now, they’re just the second-best basketball team in Florida. Hey, you’ve got to give Florida Gulf Coast University the credit they deserve.

2. Denver Nuggets (49-22, previous No. 3) – If it wasn’t for the Heat, the Nuggets would be the talk of the NBA. They went into Monday’s game against the Hornets winners of 15 in a row. Scary team that will haunt your dreams.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder (52-19, previous No. 2) – Losses to Denver at home and Memphis on the road make you question the toughness of OKC in a potential matchup with either one in the second round.

4. Los Angeles Clippers (48-22, previous No. 5) – A big four-game road trip kicks off Tuesday in Dallas and includes two more Texas stops in San Antonio and Houston. Tough test for them.

5. San Antonio Spurs (53-17, previous No. 6) – The Spurs went 6-2 without their MVP Tony Parker, and it looks like he’s picking up where he left off. With Parker back, the Spurs – as always – must be feared.

6. Memphis Grizzlies (47-22 previous No. 4) – The news that center Marc Gasol is out indefinitely after an abdominal tear is an absolute killer for a Grizzlies team fighting for home court advantage.

7. Indiana Pacers (43-27, previous No. 7) – Losing to the Bulls without Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah? That could creep back into the minds of Indy players if they see Chicago in the postseason . . . with those two players.

8. Houston Rockets (39-31, previous No. 8) – In his last 10 games, James Harden has hit 34 3-pointers and 111 free throws. The guy literally scores from all over. Fear the beard.

9. Atlanta Hawks (39-31, previous No. 10) – Nobody’s talking about the Hawks, but they’re a very tough first-round opponent, especially if Josh Smith is set on proving he’s a max player.

10. Brooklyn Nets (41-29, previous No. 12) – In the middle of an eight-game road trip and they play in three of the toughest road venues coming up: Portland, Denver, and Utah. The Prokhorov embraces it.

11. Golden State Warriors (40-31, previous No. 13) – Former NBA player Dell Curry must be a proud dad. One of his sons, Stephen, is making a run at the postseason with Golden State, while the other, Seth, is making a run at the Final Four with Duke.

12. New York Knicks (42-26, previous No. 14) – Wins over the Jazz, Magic, and Raptors twice doesn’t make the Knicks “better” than they were last week. They are older, though – somehow.

13. Boston Celtics (36-33, previous No. 9) – Celtics president Danny Ainge says Kevin Garnett could be out for a couple weeks. Hey, as long as he’s back before the C’s lose to the Heat in the opening round.

14. Los Angeles Lakers (36-34, previous No. 11) – Coach Mike D’Antoni told his team that the idea of a championship is “laughable.” Well then, everybody all together now: “Hahahahahaha!”

15. Chicago Bulls (38-31, previous No. 15) – You never want to rush a player back from an injury, but Rose has been cleared to play. At what point do the Bulls say, “Derrick, you’re fine. And you’re starting tonight.”

16. Milwaukee Bucks (34-35, previous No. 16) – There’s never been a better time for the Bucks to make up ground on the Celtics and take the No. 7 spot. Somebody should tell them that.

17. Dallas Mavericks (34-36, previous No. 18) – Dallas has found life over its last 11 games, going 8-3, and now sits just two games behind the Lakers for the No. 8 seed. Nothing would make Mark Cuban happier.

18. Utah Jazz (34-36, previous No. 17) – It appears as though the Mavs and Jazz are at opposite ends of their play right now, and that’s terrible news for Utah.

19. Portland Trail Blazers (33-37, previous No. 19) – Of the final 12 games, nine are against teams currently slotted into a playoff spot. Doesn’t do much for the team’s outside playoff chances.

20. Philadelphia 76ers (27-42, previous -) – Bigger shock: Andrew Bynum missing the entire season due to knee injuries, or Punxsutawney Phil’s inaccurate “spring will come early” forecast?

Follow Jimmy Toscano on Twitter @Jimmy_Toscano

The post NBA Power Rankings: Heat, Nuggets streaking – Celtics, Lakers falling appeared first on Metro.us.

The Knicks may get the services of center Tyson Chandler again, as the All Star’s status has been upgraded to questionable just in time for Tuesday night’s tilt against the Celtics (36-33). But perhaps the bigger piece to whether the team has success in Boston will come down to the play of Kenyon Martin.

If Chandler’s ailing neck improves and he plays, he’ll indeed be a welcomed addition for the Knicks, because New York’s frontline is woefully thin, thanks to season-long injuries claiming Chandler, Amar’e Stoudemire, Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas at one point or another. But the Knicks may even be better-served if they continue to give Martin major minutes. The 6-foot-9 power forward has filled in admirably at center in Chandler’s absence, so head coach Mike Woodson would be wise to continue playing Martin extended minutes —  even with Chandler’s return.

As great a defender Chandler is, Martin has had just as much defensive impact during his tenure, as New York is giving up 99.5 points per 100 possessions, which would rank fifth in the NBA. Conversely, when he’s off the floor, they’re giving up 103.3 points, which would put them 17th.

Such valuable production is the main reason why Martin thinks he deserves to continue his recent playing time bump. But besides that, Martin said his once-troublesome knees are feeling as good as they have in years, which is why he has such great bounce to his step.

“My knees have not been an issue for a few years, [because] not having played basketball for a while, I don’t have the wear and tear,” said Martin, who is working for the relatively cheap price of two 10-day contracts.

The mercurial Martin, whose hustle, energy and post-dunk theatrics have made him a Garden favorite, also admitted he’s looking forward to Tuesday’s game because the Celtics were one of the teams who bypassed his services while he sat out most of the first five months of the season as a street free agent.

“I was getting my legs ready [during his time away from the game], so I want people to know I can still play. I just don’t want this to be it,” said Martin, who added he seeks revenge on all the teams that never called. “My thoughts are probably ones that I can’t say on camera. … But I am in a happy place now.”

The rest of the league’s loss is the Knicks’ gain, especially recently, as Martin — and Carmelo Anthony — have spearheaded a four-game winning streak. While Martin has manned the pivot, Woodson kept Anthony at the power forward position, the same spot the All Star has played all season. But should Chandler play against the Celtics, Woodson will have a decision to make. He’ll have to decide whether to keep Martin in the starting lineup as the power forward, which would slide the 6-foot-7 Anthony back to his customary small forward, or bring Martin off the bench.

Whatever he decides, Woodson said it’ll be a “nice luxury” because of how seamless Martin can adapt to any situation — and also how similar Martin and Chandler’s games are.

“Tyson does the same thing [as Kenyon],” Woodson said. “They’re pretty similar as pick-and-roll guys. Both are defensive-minded guys, both can block shots and both finish around the rim. … Bringing Kenyon off [the bench], it becomes a double threat and we don’t lose a lot.”

Woodson might’ve showed his hand in regards to playoff strategy when he admitted that he may start a big lineup (Anthony, Martin and Chandler together) to contend with a possible first-round matchup against the Bulls, who own one of the biggest frontlines in the league. And should the Knicks be so fortunate to advance to the second round, the Pacers’ bruising and deep frontcourt will likely be waiting.

But whatever the formula going forward, Woodson’s assertion about the Knicks’ recent frontline tear is correct in that as long as Martin continues ascending and his knees hold up, the veteran power forward is a nice — and cheap — problem to have.

Knicks notes

» Chandler tested himself a bit during Monday’s practice, but admitted afterwards that he still felt some spasms when stretching to defend. Woodson may have upgraded Chandler to questionable, but it sounds as if the center is still very questionable for the Celtics on Tuesday.

» The Celtics will also likely be down a starting center, as Kevin Garnett (foot) will miss the game and probably even the Easter Sunday tilt next week. Celtics head coach Doc Rivers admitted the team’s doctors will be taking a second look at the MRI on Garnett’s foot to decide his status going forward.

Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.

The post Knicks counting on Kenyon Martin against Boston appeared first on Metro.us.

Records through March 17:

1. Miami Heat (51-14, previous No. 1) – The Heat went into Monday night’s game against the Celtics literally forgetting how to lose. With 22 wins in a row this season, Miami is just waiting to prey on postseason victims.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (50-17, previous No. 2) – Metro was burned by the Thunder last week when they lost badly to the Tony Parker-less Spurs. Two big back-to-backs ahead: Home vs. Nuggets, away vs. Grizzlies.

3. Denver Nuggets (45-22, previous No. 6) - A gritty win over the Grizzlies last Friday earned Denver its 11th straight win. The Heat may laugh at just 11 in a row, but Denver is legit.

4. Memphis Grizzlies (44-21 previous No. 4) - Two tough losses on the road in Denver and in Utah – very hard places to win in. A Memphis-Denver series will go to the home team.

5. Los Angeles Clippers (46-21, previous No. 3) - The Nuggets beat the Grizzlies, who beat the Clippers. Therefore, the Nuggets would beat the Clippers. That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.

6. San Antonio Spurs (51-16, previous No. 5) - The Spurs continue to kick adversity square in the face, but at some point adversity will kick back harder – unless Tony Parker can return in time.

7. Indiana Pacers (40-26, previous No. 7) – Things aren’t going as planned for Indy lately. Exhibit A: Philly’s Spencer “Abdul-Jabbar” Hawes racked up 18 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists, and seven blocks in the 76ers’ 98-91 win Saturday. Um, what?

8. Houston Rockets (36-31, previous No. 8) - The Rockets have three days to think about their 30-point loss to the Warriors on Sunday. Hopefully they’re over it by Wednesday’s big game against the ninth-seeded Jazz.

9. Boston Celtics (36-29, previous No. 11) – They could be the second-best team in the East now, which really isn’t saying much when you consider how bad every non-Miami team in the East actually is.

10. Atlanta Hawks (37-29, previous No. 13) - Three straight wins for the Hawks, including two over the Lakers and Nets. They are pesky. They’ll put up a fight. But ultimately, they’ll come up very short in the postseason.

11. Los Angeles Lakers (36-32, previous No. 12) – Mike D’Antoni is clearly having an effect on Kobe Bryant. Bryant couldn’t believe that Atlanta’s Dahntay Jones played defense (?!) on him, which led to him landing on Jones’ ankle.

12. Brooklyn Nets (38-28, previous No. 10) - The Knicks are begging the Nets to take the division, but the hipsters in Brooklyn are way too into being “up and coming, man.” That’s fine by the Celtics.

13. Golden State Warriors (38-30, previous No. 15) - Somehow, one of the worst defenses in the NBA (Warriors) limited one of the best offenses in the NBA (Rockets) to 78 points on Sunday. Maybe there is a sliver of hope for this squad after all.

14. New York Knicks (38-26, previous No. 9) – The Knicks are officially falling apart. And honestly, who could have seen a team of 40-year-olds running out of gas down the stretch? Get Allan Houston on the phone!

15. Chicago Bulls (36-29, previous No. 14) - Pretty sure there was a report that came out last week saying Bulls point guard Derrick Rose could play very soon, or not at all this season. And that about sums up that situation right now.

16. Milwaukee Bucks (33-32, previous No. 16) - It should be Miami vs. Milwaukee in the first round of the playoffs. Nothing against Milwaukee, but American Airlines Arena can go ahead and book Game 5′s date for another event.

17. Utah Jazz (34-32, previous No. 18) - Is this almost the part where we say, “the Jazz are singing the blues”? And if so, how many years in a row is it allowed to be said. Got to be close to the limit.

18. Dallas Mavericks (31-35, previous No. 17) – Mark Cuban and the Mavericks’ fan base made sure to boo the heck out of Derek Fisher upon his return on Sunday. Whatever takes their minds off booing their own team.

19. Portland Trail Blazers (31-34, previous No. 19) – A five-game road trip starting last night and ending in OKC on Sunday should all but guarantee the Blazers’ terrible odds in the NBA lottery.

20. Toronto Raptors (26-341 previous No. 20) – To be honest, the Raptors don’t belong in the same power rankings list as the 19 teams ahead of them. Just needed to fill space.

Follow Metro sports writer Jimmy Toscano on Twitter @Jimmy_Toscano

The post NBA Power Rankings: The Knicks are officially falling apart appeared first on Metro.us.

Records through March 11

1. Miami Heat (47-14, previous No. 1) – The Heat have won their last 18 games, or in other words, five more games than the Bobcats have won all season. Miami is also the only team to already clinch a playoff berth.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (47-16, previous No. 2) – Going into Monday night’s game in San Antonio, the Thunder had a nice little five-game winning streak going. It’s not 18, but OKC looks good.

3. Los Angeles Clippers (45-20, previous No. 4) – If you haven’t seen DeAndre Jordan’s dunk over Brandon Knight, find it. If you have seen it, find it again. Also, somebody should check on Knight.

4. Memphis Grizzlies (42-19 previous No. 5) – Tough four-game road trip ahead for the Grizz (POR, LAC, DEN, Utah) who have quietly won 12 of their last 13 games.

5. San Antonio Spurs (48-15, previous No. 3) – According to Elias, the Spurs suffered their worst home loss since 1997 on Friday, losing to the Trailblazers, 136-106. What’s that all about?

6. Denver Nuggets (42-22, previous No. 7) – Winners of eight in a row including a 15-point win over the Clippers last week. Circle Friday night’s game against Memphis on your calendar.

7. Indiana Pacers (39-24, previous No. 6) – An absolute choke job at home vs. the Celtics last week, and they were blown away in Miami. Not a good week for the Pacers. Oh, and Danny Granger is out again.

8. Houston Rockets (34-30, previous No. 12) – It’s not just James Harden with Jeremy Lin cameos. The Rockets are getting big production from Omer Asik and Chandler Parsons. Offense off the charts.

9. New York Knicks (38-22, previous No. 8) – How much better is the West than the East? The Knicks’ (second in the East) record puts them at the sixth seed out West — and even that seems too high.

10. Brooklyn Nets (37-26, previous No. 11) – A relatively easy stretch over the next 10 games could fool people, but Brooklyn looks to keep pressure on the Knicks.

11. Boston Celtics (34-28, previous No. 13) – Two big wins over the Pacers and Hawks, followed by a 79-point showing in OKC. The C’s are good enough to roll with second-tier teams, but that appears to be their ceiling.

12. Los Angeles Lakers (33-31, previous No. 17) – They’re 16-6 in the last 22 games and it seems Kobe Bryant is averaging 70 points a game as of late. Dwight Howard is playing basketball. Pau Gasol is closer to a return. Watch out…

13. Atlanta Hawks (34-28, previous No. 9) – Five losses in their last six games, with a game tonight in Miami. But hey, they still have Josh Smith leading the way … to nowhere.

14. Chicago Bulls (35-28, previous No. 10) – Sorry, Chicago, it seems like a Derrick Rose return this season is unlikely. Also unlikely: A series win without him.

15. Golden State Warriors (35-29, previous No. 14) – If Golden State wants to turn their season around, they can start by never wearing those jerseys with sleeves again. Jerseys with sleeves?

16. Milwaukee Bucks (32-29, previous No. 16) – It looks like Milwaukee should hang on to make its first playoff appearance since the 2009-10 season. Toronto and Philly don’t have any fight left.

17. Dallas Mavericks (29-33, previous No. 18) – The Mavs are only three games out from the eighth seed, but they’d probably need the Warriors to complete an epic collapse to get there.

18. Utah Jazz (32-31, previous No. 15) – No surprise that the Jazz went 0-4 on their four-game road trip, where they’ve struggled all year. Now they’re on outside looking in.

19. Portland Trail Blazers (29-33, previous No. 19) – If you thought a big win over the Spurs could spark them, oops, you were wrong. Portland lost to the lowly Hornets the next game.

20. Toronto Raptors (25-39 previous No. 20) – It’s a good thing the Blue Jays look ready to contend for something, because the Raptors sure don’t.

The post NBA Power Rankings: Lakers, Nuggets, Grizzlies quietly climbing appeared first on Metro.us.

Records through March 3

1. Miami Heat (43-14, previous No. 2) – A 14-game winning streak. Is that good? Nope. It’s freaking awesome – and so are the Heat right now. They haven’t lost in over a month!

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (43-16, previous No. 3) – A tough loss in Denver was followed up by a big win against the Clippers to lock the Thunder in at the No. 2 spot this week. Miami No. 1, OKC No. 2 – not much has changed since last year.

3. San Antonio Spurs (47-14, previous No. 1) - Tony Parker (ankle) will be down for about a month. He’s been the reason the Spurs have overcome injuries. Can they pay him back the favor?

4. Los Angeles Clippers (43-19, previous No. 4) – Still one of the deepest teams in the NBA, which will be huge for them in the postseason – especially if they eventually meet that always-banged-up Spurs team.

5. Memphis Grizzlies (39-19 previous No. 5) – The second hottest team in the league behind the Heat has gone 9-1 in their last 10 games losing to just – you guessed it – the Heat. An OKC-Memphis second round sounds exciting. Then again, so does a Memphis-Denver first round.

6. Indiana Pacers (38-22, previous No. 6) – The last game the Heat lost was against the Pacers, and the two will play again – this time in Miami – on Sunday. We’ll learn a lot about the Pacers here.

7. DenverNuggets (38-22, previous No. 7) - Say what you want about the Nuggets’ lack of star power, by Ty Lawson is averaging 23.1 points and 7.6 assists over his last 10 games – including a game-winner to beat the Thunder last Friday.

8. New York Knicks (35-21, previous No. 11) – The Knicks posted 37 points in the second quarter against the Heat on Sunday, but just 34 points combined in the third and fourth. They move up the ranks this week by default.

9. Atlanta Hawks (33-25, previous No. 12) - Going into Monday night, the Hawks were ranked No. 4 in the Eastern Conference, but they were just two games from falling to No. 7. Do they have what it takes to hold on?

10. Chicago Bulls (34-26, previous No. 10) – Joakim Noah looks like a man amongst boys out there as of late, but the Bulls are playing below-.500 basketball since late January.

11. Brooklyn Nets (34-26, previous No. 9) – Hopefully Jay-Z is too busy planning his summer stadium tour with Justin Timberlake to notice his team has lost four of its last five games.

13. Boston Celtics (31-27, previous No. 14) – Four games in six days for the C’s, including a back-to-back on the road. They could easily go 4-0, or 0-4. That’s been the theme for the majority of the year.

14. Golden State Warriors (33-27, previous No. 8) – The Warriors have two big problems. They don’t play much defense and they can’t win on the road. That spells early playoff exit.

15. Utah Jazz (32-27, previous No. 15) - The good news: The Jazz are 22-8 at home. The bad news: Five of their next six are on the road, where they’ve gone 10-19.

16. Milwaukee Bucks (29-28, previous No. 16) – As it stands now, the Bucks would play the Heat in the first round of the playoffs. Imagine if they w- nah, never mind.

17. Los Angeles Lakers (30-30, previous No. 17) - It might sound crazy, but with the Warriors, Jazz, and Rockets currently ahead of L.A., the No. 6 seed is still possible.

18. Dallas Mavericks (26-33, previous No. 19) – Mark Cuban claims to have this new CBA thing down. Mavericks fans have no choice but to hope he’s right.

19. Portland Trail Blazers (27-31, previous No. 20) – It’s starting to hit the fans in Portand that the playoffs probably aren’t coming there this season.

20. Toronto Raptors (23-37 previous No. 18) - It was looking good for Toronto for a few days anyways, but losing five of six will snap everybody back to reality.

Follow Metro sports writer Jimmy Toscano @Jimmy_Toscano

The post NBA Power Rankings: No one can beat the Heat appeared first on Metro.us.

Many hoops fans complain about how there aren’t any “great buildings” anymore when it comes to making noise, nostalgia and the “big stage” atmosphere. I tend to agree, for the most part. The original Boston Garden is long gone, Chicago Stadium is history, same for the Spectrum in Philly and the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood, Calif. rarely houses sports events these days (you’re more likely to see an American Idol taping there).

College basketball still has some great old barns where it gets loud and you can always feel the history: Cameron Indoor at Duke, “Phog” Allen Fieldhouse at Kansas, Pauley Pavilion at UCLA. Madison Square Garden might be the one arena left in pro basketball where you would pay money just for the atmosphere of the building.

But part of the issue with the lack of “big stage” atmosphere today is the fact that there isn’t nearly the same amount of danger involved in professional sports anymore. You will never in a million years again see an NBA fight as “dangerous” as when Houston Rockets center Ralph Sampson decked Celtics guard Jerry Sichting in the 1986 NBA Finals. The fight spilled into the stands and nearly every member of the Celtics and Rockets got involved. Maybe it’s the grainy, dark, ’80s-style video that helps – but you get the sense that you’re watching a horror movie, not a basketball game, when watching that tape.

Today, the NBA likely has a team of 76 people or so in their New York offices that scour the internet daily for traces of “Basket-brawl” videos … all documented footage is immediately ripped down – those guys are good.

The Ron Artest brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills (click here for video while you still can) of course changed the game. Now, if two players even look at each other crosseyed there is a chance both will be ejected. It has taken away a lot of the physicality in the game, particularly under the boards, but we all understand now that it had to be done. When fans are getting decked in the face (like in the Artest melee), there has to be new order.

Obviously, things can still escalate in the league. Last night we saw Roy Hibbert of the Pacers and David Lee of the Warriors “go at it.” Not one true punch was thrown but it was still a bit frightening to see players so close to the fans with tempers reaching that level.

Last November I was in the house for the Kris Humphries-Rajon Rondo tussle that ended up in the first three rows behind the basket. While the TD Garden has absolutely nothing on the original Garden in terms of atmosphere, the place had that “big stage” buzz you read about. I was 100 percent certain that some fool would throw a beer on Humphries as he walked towards the tunnel back to the lockerroom. But it didn’t happen.

I’ll admit, there was a small, evil part of me that was disappointed that it didn’t go down. I wanted to relish just a few more seconds of that atmosphere, that buzz that you can only get when things get a little dangerous. Then, just about a minute after Humphries left the floor, everyone’s right mind took over and we all agreed that we were happy the days of 24-man brawls were over.

Matt Burke is sports editor and a columnist at Metro Boston. Follow him on Twitter @BurkeMetroBOS

The post Playing the Field: NBA fights create that buzz we miss appeared first on Metro.us.

Records through Feb. 24:

1. San Antonio Spurs (45-13, previous No. 1) – The Spurs finished their nine-game road trip with a 7-2 record, and continue to win games despite fighting the injury bug. Health seems to be the only roadblock for this team come postseason.

2. Miami Heat (40-14, previous No. 3) – Eleven wins in a row, seven of which have come by double-digits. Is that good? Not for the rest of the NBA. The Heat are pulling away from the East with relative ease.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder (41-15, previous No. 2) – A 30-point beat-down of the Bulls is comforting. Not comforting? Signing Derek Fisher a few hours later. Do they really need him?

4. Los Angeles Clippers (40-18, previous No. 4) – Would Kevin Garnett put them over the top? We’ll never know. But the Clippers still have as good of a chance as any team to win a title.

5. Memphis Grizzlies (37-18 previous No. 6) – It’s not the strongest seven-game winning streak around (two wins over playoff contenders), but it’s a streak nonetheless. Still, it’s hard to include them with the elite right now.

6. Indiana Pacers (35-21, previous No. 8) – The Pacers are the team keeping somewhat of a “pace” with the Heat over the last 11 games, going 9-2 in that span. And they just got Danny Granger back. Fun times.

7. Denver Nuggets (35-22, previous No. 5) – Can we just bottle up everything about Kenneth Faried and give it to every NBA player? It would make for some pretty intense and amazing games.

8. Golden State Warriors (33-23, previous No. 9) – It looked like the wheels fell off for the Warriors after six straight losses. But a comeback, overtime win over the Spurs on Friday has them living up to their team name.

9. Brooklyn Nets (33-24, previous No. 11) – Went into and out of the break strong – two wins each – but have since lost to the Rockets and Griz. Joe Johnson can only hit so many game-winners, ya know?

10. Chicago Bulls (32-24, previous No. 7) – Sunday’s loss to the Thunder was ugly. Here’s some salt for that wound: According to Elias, it was Chicago’s eighth-straight game in which none of its players scored more than 20 points, the longest such streak in franchise history.

11. New York Knicks (33-20, previous No. 10) – The Knicks have just one win against a playoff team (the Bucks) in February. They are fading, and fading fast. Is anybody that surprised?

12. Atlanta Hawks (31-23, previous No. 13) – It almost seemed like a guarantee that Josh Smith would say buh-bye to ATL at the deadline. Instead, it’s a guarantee that the Smith-led Hawks are first or second round playoff exits.

13. Houston Rockets (31-27, previous No. 14) – With the position Houston has put itself in since last offseason, it’s easy to picture the Rockets as a top dog in the West next season. Not this season though.

14. Boston Celtics (29-27, previous No. 12) – Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett will live to see another full season in Green. That may have not been the case if it was a seller’s market at the deadline.

15. Utah Jazz (31-25, previous No. 16) – The Jazz have both Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap ready to hit free agency. They aren’t good enough with them, can’t re-sign both, but didn’t trade either. Figure that one out.

16. Milwaukee Bucks (26-28, previous No. 15) – A round of applause for the Bucks who tried as hard as possible to land Josh Smith. Now, a moment of silence.

17. Los Angeles Lakers (28-29, previous No. 19) – The Lakers are 11-4 in their last 15 games, which can only mean one thing: they’ve finally tuned out Mike D’Antoni.

18. Toronto Raptors (23-33 previous No. – ) – The Raptors are 6-1 over their last seven games, including wins over the Pacers, Nuggets, and Knicks (twice). Playoffs?!

19. Dallas Mavericks (25-30, previous No. 18) – Mark Cuban loves hypotheticals (“Amnesty Kobe”), so here’s one: “Let’s just say the Mavericks make the playoffs this season…”

20. Portland Trail Blazers (26-30, previous No. 17) – The problem with Portland is that they need lots of production from their starters because their bench is extremely weak. No offense, Sasha Pavlovic.

The post NBA Power Rankings: Spurs, Heat, Thunder battle at top appeared first on Metro.us.

The NBA Trade Deadline is just two days away, but the hype leading up to it began weeks – months? – ago. Some teams are looking for one more piece to put them over the top, while others are looking to cut salary and build toward the future.

Players and fans are equally on edge as GMs kick around offers behind closed doors.

Here are five teams most likely to make a move by Feb. 21:

Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are done playing second fiddle to the Lakers, and realize they have a team that’s one or two players short of winning the title this season. Eric Bledsoe, the team’s backup point guard to Chris Paul, is their bait, and they’ve already reportedly tried dangling him to the Celtics (with Caron Butler, for Kevin Garnett) and the Jazz (for Paul Millsap). It doesn’t look like the C’s are biting on that offer, but it makes sense for the Jazz, who could certainly use a point guard, and could lose Millsap to free agency after the season. Regardless of where, Bledsoe could certainly be out of LA by Thursday night.

Atlanta Hawks
It seems like Josh Smith has been included in trade talks for the past few years (because he has). Why does it make sense to trade him now? Well, unless the absolute improbable happens, Atlanta doesn’t seem to be going far with him as its centerpiece. He’s due for a max deal or close to one over the offseason – whether he deserves it or not – and the Hawks may not be interested. Both the Celtics and Nets, among others have come up as suitors, but the Nets are also reportedly interested in Millsap.

Phoenix Suns
Phoenix understands it needs to unload some players and hope it pays dividends down the road. Marcin Gortat is a big man who can help out just about any team, as could Luis Scola. Swingman Jared Dudley is by all accounts a great locker-room guy (and can play). Michael Beasley plays in spurts, and could scare teams away if the Suns include him in potential deals.

Boston Celtics
An 8-1 stretch has probably killed all Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett trades – unless the C’s are blown away by an offer. But don’t count out a smaller trade to bring in a backup guard or big man.

Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have a decision to make: Monta Ellis or Brandon Jennings? They can’t sign both, and may elect to trade one or the other by Thursday.

The post NBA trade deadline: teams most likely to make deals appeared first on Metro.us.

Much of the hype leading up to Sunday’s showdown — between the last two teams currently in the Eastern Conference playoffs — surrounded the future of both clubs.

Are the Celtics too old to compete for a title? Are the Knicks on the ascension to being a title contender?

At least for one day, the two teams played their familiar roles in a 115-111 overtime win by the Celtics.

Rondo, who has been mentioned in trade rumors for weeks now, put on a spectacular show. He had 18 points, 20 assists and 17 rebounds to become the first player to accomplish the 17-17-17 barrier since Magic Johnson in April 1989, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Current Mavericks guard Jason Kidd, who faces the Knicks tomorrow night in Dallas,  has reached 15-15-15 twice — most recently on Feb. 26, 2010, when he went for 19 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds against the Hawks.

Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said before the game that the team was not actively shopping their point guard, but that they were listening to offers like they would with every player.

Expect a lot more calls and a lot more hang-ups after Sunday.

“Rondo is the smartest point guard I’ve ever been around,” Rivers said after the game. “He knows plays from three years ago. He’s a brilliant player.”

The same old story for the Knicks means they still can’t get over the hump against Boston. They’ve lost two-of-three this season and were swept in the playoffs last season. That is losses in six-of-seven if you’re keeping track at home.

After Sunday, Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni may be chiding some opposing general managers into making a few more calls about Rondo’s availability.

Lin stumbles in return to Boston

No one knew who Jeremy Lin was on Feb. 3 when he played six minutes against the Celtics in a 91-89 loss by New York.

One night later, against the Nets, the Linsanity began.

Lin, who played four years at Harvard, returned to Boston for the first time as a starter and didn’t exactly wow a crowd that included his former Crimson coach Tommy Amaker.

He finished the game with 14 points, five assists and six turnovers. He shot just 6-of-16 from the field and was in early foul trouble.

The Knicks don’t travel to Boston again this season, unless they meet in the playoffs.

Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.

The post Rondo spectacular as Knicks lose in OT appeared first on Metro.us.