Stepping Up

Not only did Kevin Garnett make Tommy Heinsohn proud by diving to the floor for a loose ball, but the Big Ticket also finished with a game-high 24 points to propel the Celts past the Knicks for a pivotal road victory.

After trailing by double-figures throughout much of the game, the Boston Celtics roared back in epic fashion Monday night to knock off the upstart Knicks 96-86 before a sold-out, raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden. The game had a distinct playoff-type atmosphere and took on the look of a heavyweight fight, with several players on both sides of the once bitter rivalry getting bloodied and battered along the way.

But in the end, even with the Garden faithful furiously chanting "Boston Sucks, Boston Sucks" and the referees doing their best to ensure the Knicks a victory, the cagey, veteran Celts refused to let up and earned one of their most satisfying victories of the season. The Captain, Paul Pierce, saved his best for last, taking over in the fourth quarter to score 13 of his 21 points. The Celtics finished the game on a dominating 23-4 run.

"Something about this team," Pierce said after the game. "We have an extra gear. We know when we have to turn it up. Sometimes maybe going to the ground, that's what it takes. I'd rather us start the beginning of the game like we've been thrown to the ground, but hey, this is a veteran team that knows how to push a button and get a win."

From the opening tip, the Knicks took it to the listless Celts and raced out to a 51-37 halftime lead. At the break, Doc Rivers ripped into his team for their lackluster play.

"I haven't used the word 'soft' with us maybe in four years," Rivers said. "But at halftime, I used that word a lot."

Just as a championship caliber team should, the Celtics responded after being challenged by their head coach.

"Doc thought we were soft," said Garnett. "He thought our play was soft, he thought everything we were doing was soft and we weren't the Cs. So we got firm."

The second half got chippy. It got physical. It got heated.

After getting hit with an errant elbow from Jared Jeffries, Ray Allen was forced to leave the game with his head oozing blood. He got seven stitches in the locker room, returned for the fourth quarter and finished with 15 points and eight rebounds after starting the game off slowly.

Late in the fourth, Carmelo Anthony got cut right above the eye after a collision with Rajon Rondo and left the game bleeding.

"I think everybody was on the floor," explained KG, who made the Tommy point play of the year late in the game diving with A'mare Stoudemire for a loose ball on the floor.

Soon the Celtics closed the gap and then went to work in the fourth quarter, scoring methodically despite numerous attempts by the referees to sway the game (I was starting to worry for Tommy's health at one point).

Ignited by Pierce's fourth quarter heroics and KG's big night (24 points, 11 boards, 4 steals), the Celtics landed the final punch and silenced the Garden haters. With the win, Boston improves to 50-19 on the season, keeping pace with the Bulls for first in the Eastern Conference. All Spike Lee could do was smile sheepishly and bury his head in his hands. Fittingly, he was seated next to Ray Allen's Mom.

"This felt like a playoff game tonight. Felt like we were in a bar fight," KG concluded. "Just Boston-New York. Classic!"