Knicks 93, Celtics 96
What went right …
Rondo was the best player on the court. The point guard scored a career
playoff-high 30 points.
2 One-man show — Put this one in the history books of all-time greatest Knicks performances. Following his dismal Game 1, Anthony bounced back in ways nobody could have imagined. His 42 points, 17 rebounds, and six assists kept the Knicks in the game while Amar’e Stoudemire missed the second half with back spasms and Chauncey Billups didn’t even suit up. But even that wasn’t enough. The loss is even more heartbreaking than the first one considering the Knicks outrebounded Boston 53-37 and held a lead with 19 seconds left.
After Kevin Garnett schooled Jared Jeffries to put the Celtics up 94-93 with 13 seconds left, Carmelo dished to Jeffries on the ensuing possession. The forward looked to pass and Garnett got his hands on the ball then called a timeout with four ticks left. Even more depressing, Anthony waited more than three seconds to foul on the inbound pass and Delonte West knocked down free throws to seal the win. Down 0-2 in the series, it’s pretty obvious that the Knicks have to win the next two at home to have any chance.
3 Amar’e leaves early — The Knicks took a huge blow when Stoudemire left the game in the second quarter. He finished with just four points, but the Knicks really missed him defensively, as KG dominated in the paint in crunch time.
