Recap: Knicks 98, Celtics 95

Paul Pierce was hoping for a win on his 35th birthday, but 12 

points and 4 rebounds aren't bad birthday presents either,

It was a not-so happy birthday for the newly turned 52 year-old Doc Rivers and 35 year-old Paul Pierce as the Celtics dropped their first preseason match up back in the states to the Knicks 98 to 95. This one needed five extra minutes to decide the outcome, giving the young guys more of an opportunity to strut their stuff, and they didn't disappoint. Some up and down moments from this one..

The good:

The goal of this one: get everyone out of there in one piece. Boston starts a grueling stretch of six games in nine days, and with the regular season opener in 16 days, the last thing Rivers and his coaching staff want to do is burn out their guys in meaningless games. So to see that no one played over 29 minutes in a 53 minute game is reassuring.

Jared Sullinger continues to shine. The 20 year-old scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting while pulling down 7 rebounds. Sullinger looked like a man amongst boys, finding ways to score around the rim and get into an effective offensive position on the block nearly every time down the court. "Sully," the nickname coined by Kevin Garnett, just keeps showing why he deserves a starting spot.

It's clear that one of Rivers's major points of emphasis so far has been rebounding, and it's clear that his players have listened. Last night his team grabbed 50 rebounds for the second game in a row, something unheard of last year. The stats are impressive -- 6 out of the 14 players that appeared in the game had at least 4 rebounds -- and it's a trend that has to continue. 

To add on that rebounding note, camp invite Micah Downs pulled down 7 in less than 14 minutes of action. For the time he was on the court, Downs gave it all he had, hustling and doing the right things. The 26 year-old continues to do the little things it takes to get noticed on this team.

The bad:

Not that it matters, but the Celtics' jayvee lineup blew a lead late leading to overtime. The Knicks made it an effort to tie the game and try and win, something all teams should do. But in the preseason, come on. There's nothing worse than overtime in the preseason.

Jamar Smith did not help his case tonight, scoring 5 points on 2-of-7 from the field while turning the ball over 3 times in 17 minutes. Smith needs to show that he can handle the backup point guard position in order to have a chance to make this team, and he was on the floor when the Knicks made their furious late comeback. Smith needs to do a better job of managing the team when he's on the floor. 

19 turnovers isn't going to get it done either.

What's next? A trip to The City of Brotherly Love to see the new-look 76ers on Monday night. Should be interesting.