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Without Crawford, Knicks continue playoff push

Feb 28, 2007 - 3:45 PM New York (26-32) at Boston (14-42) 7:30 pm EST

BOSTON (Ticker) -- The New York Knicks will have to continue their playoff push without a key performer.

With guard Jamal Crawford sidelined indefinitely, the Knicks will visit the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.

Crawford has a stress fracture in his right ankle and is expected to miss the rest of the season. He scored 20 points in the Knicks' 99-93 victory over Miami on Monday.

The injury to Crawford certainly comes at the wrong time for New York (26-32), which trails New Jersey, Orlando and Miami by two games for the final two postseason berths in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics snapped a 12-game road losing streak with a 77-72 victory at Houston on Monday. Star swingman Paul Pierce scored 28 points, including seven down the stretch.

Pierce collected 31 points and seven rebounds in Boston's last trip to Madison Square Garden, a 97-90 win on December 11.