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| Kevin Garnett and Carmelo Anthony will renew acquaintances tonight at the TD Garden. |
This should be fun, no?
After defeating the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden over two weeks ago, the Celtics (20-21) will look to take the first two games of the season series against the Knicks (25-14) tonight.
Things got heated in their last meeting due to the Kevin Garnett-Carmelo Anthony trash-talking drama, which is what most will remember that game for. In fact, as of just minutes ago, there has been yet a new development in the saga. According to ESPNNewYork.com, Anthony has filed an appeal with the league to regain the money he lost due to his one-game suspension for his actions after that game. Due to the suspension, Anthony lost a game's pay, which for him is $176,000 -- 1/110 of his salary. Really, Carmelo?
But let's not forget, amid all the hysteria, Boston did emerge victorious, 102-96, to extend their winning streak to three games at the time.
However, the Celtics are looking to halt a, frankly, embarrassing four-game losing streak this time around.
The Knicks, on the other hand, are stumbling a bit after getting off to a scorching 18-5 start. Including their loss on Christmas day against the Los Angeles Lakers, New York has lost 7 of its last 5 games. They are coming off a tough loss to their other Atlantic Division nemesis, the Brooklyn Nets, on Monday night.
It only seems right that Boston and New York are facing off in a rivalry game, only this time its in basketball.
Here's a preview:
Projected lineup:
Knicks:
Jason Kidd
Iman Shumpert
Carmelo Anthony
Chris Copeland
Tyson Chandler
Celtics:
Rajon Rondo
Avery Bradley
Paul Pierce
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett
Keys to the game:
1. Putting the biscuit in the basket: The major problem during Boston's recent slide has been their offense. In their four-game losing streak, Boston is shooting a mere 41.4% from the floor, far from their season average. Maybe being home will help the Celtics. They're shooting 47.6% at home, 5th best in the NBA. Boston needs to be more efficient and put some points on the board against a team in the Knicks that knows how to score.
2. Strong out of the gate: The Celtics desperately need to get off to a good start. I feel like a broken record, but the Celtics are almost always falling behind early in games. This leads to them expending so much energy just trying to get back into the game, and then they run out of gas. In their last three games, the Celtics have trailed after the first quarter by an average of nearly 6 points. During their four-game losing streak, Boston has allowed an average of 25.3 points in the first quarter. Not to mention that the Knicks are 5th in the NBA in first-quarter scoring, averaging 25.4 points in the first quarter. Boston should get a boost from its home crowd -- a crowd that should be fired up for this one -- and they need to do all they can to make a statement out of the gate.
3. Don't contain Carmelo: That sounds odd, doesn't it? But, it's true. The Celtics cannot spend all their energy on one player because almost every other Knick is a dangerous offensive player. Celtics' coach Doc Rivers always tells his team that when they play a team the features a superstar or two, the superstars are going to get their points. That doesn't mean you don't defend them, but there's a reason why their considered superstars. The objective is to make sure no one else beats you. However, against a Knicks team that possesses three players that average more than 15.0 points per game, the Celtics need to do all they can to stop, well, everyone. The Celtics did a great job in their last meeting with the Knicks of limiting their leading scorers, Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith, to go 13-of-44. When Anthony scores over 30 points, the Knicks are only 7-5. When he scores under 30, they're 17-10. My point? If Carmelo goes nuts and starts hitting nearly everything, don't panic. Just don't let everyone else go crazy with him.
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