Celtics 96 - 86 Knicks
Final
  for this game

Celtics eye 50th win at New York

Mar 21, 2011 - 3:02 PM (Sports Network) - With a fourth straight Atlantic Division title tucked safely in their pocket, the Boston Celtics still have much to accomplish.

Doc Rivers' team shoots for a fourth straight 50-win season tonight and attempts to stay atop the Eastern Conference when they visit Madison Square Garden to take on the slumping New York Knicks. The Celtics and the Chicago Bulls are deadlocked atop the East, two games ahead of Miami with 14 games to play.

The C's latest win came in the Big Easy on Saturday when Ray Allen and Glen Davis both finished with 20 points as Boston erased a 15-point third quarter deficit and topped the New Orleans Hornets, 89-85.

Kevin Garnett posted 12 points and nine boards as the Celtics salvaged a win in the second night of a back-to-back. Jeff Green scored 10 points in the win.

"I thought we were all just beat up a little bit," Garnett said. "We were fighting a little bit and we were hurting more than normal. But I thought for the most part, we played solid. All in all, we got out early and I thought the way we got back was ball-coordinated and defense."

Boston has now won 20 Atlantic Division titles in its storied history, four more than the other four division members combined.

The Knicks, who are opening up a tough three-game homestand tonight that will also include bouts with Orlando and Milwaukee, have dropped two straight and five of six, falling one-half game behind Philadelphia for the sixth spot in the East as they aim to end a six-year postseason drought.

Most recently, Carlos Delfino hit six three-pointers and finished with a career-high 30 points to go with 11 rebounds, as the Milwaukee Bucks held on for a 100-95 victory over New York at the Bradley Center on Sunday.

Amare Stoudemire had a team-best 25 points and 11 boards for the Knicks, who have dropped four straight on the road. Carmelo Anthony had 23 points, while Chauncey Billups had 21 before fouling out.

"The last two minutes of course I fouled out, disappointed about that," Billups said. "I fouled out, but we had a couple of opportunities."

The Celtics have won 14 of their last 16 meetings with the Knicks, including the first two this season, and nine of their last 11 trips to MSG.






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