Eastern Conference Quarterfinals - Game 6: Knicks at Celtics

Kevin Garnett will look to get the Celtics over the hump.

Amid all the hype and coverage over the past 48 hours, there is one thing still missing: the Celtics are still down 3-2. They need to win two straight games in order to make history. They haven't done anything but extend their season. But it sure as hell is a lot of fun.

There's been trash talk, black clothes and, as Kevin Garnett put it, "scrappy basketball." And that's when the Celtics are at their best, when they grind games out and make things a little ugly. It is exactly how the Celtics are going to have to be if they want to extend their season.

Doc Rivers said in his pre-game meet with the media that he may stretch his rotation, but he will determine that with the way the game is playing out. For the Knicks, Steve Novak is out after leaving Game 5 with back spasms.

Here's a preview:

Projected lineups:

Knicks:
Raymond Felton
Pablo Prigioni
Iman Shumpert
Carmelo Anthony
Tyson Chandler

Celtics:
Avery Bradley
Paul Pierce
Jeff Green
Brandon Bass
Kevin Garnett

Keys to the game:

1. Limit turnovers: Out of the 16 playoff teams, the Celtics have the third-highest turnover rate. They have turned the ball over an average of 16.8 times in five games thus far. New York has taken advantage of nearly every Boston turnover. Especially in their own building, the Celtics have to be conscious of their turnovers.

2. Keep him out: I mentioned in my Game 5 recap that if the Celtics are to make history, they need to make the days of Raymond Felton getting to the paint with ease history. Felton said it himself earlier in the series that he could get into the paint against the Celtics anytime he wants, and so far that has proven to be true. But the Celtics need to fix that. It opens up good looks for the other four Knicks, alley-oops to Tyson Chandler and open looks at the basket for Felton himself.

3. Shut down from downtown: Over the last two games, the Celtics have held the Knicks to 12-of-52 from beyond the three-point line. 32% of the Knicks points during the regular season came from three-pointers, the best mark in the league. In order for the Celtics to force a Game 7, they need to continue to shut down the Knicks from the outside.