CELTICS GREEN BLOG by and for boston celtics fans: Celtics at Knicks in Pictures 1/4

This was a low point for the Celtics. I am still trying to figure out how this team could win 19 in a row and be so dominant to start the season and now lose 4 of their last 6 games and so completely forget how to play defense and team basketball so as to let the Knicks look like a playoff team. I just don't get it. Wilson Chandler had 31 points. Al Harrington had 30 points. Where did the Celtics defense go?

KG has been mentioning how his leg hurts lately and tonight left the game limping. It makes me wonder. He played 29 minutes and finished with just 6 points to go with 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 5 blocks. He certainly didn't look like the defensive player of the year as he allowed Wilson Chandler to go all around him for 31 points.

Paul Pierce was the only starter who seemed to have a pulse in this one. He finished with 31 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal but had to play 41 minutes to get them.

Ray Allen finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in 37 minutes, but was 0-9 from beyond the arc. Perk was a step slow on defense all game and finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block in 29 minutes.

Rondo was fairly passive in this game and settled for jumpers instead of taking the ball to the hoop. He was 1-7 from the field and finished with 3 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal in 25 minutes.

Scal played 12 minutes in this one but no one else was stepping up so why not? He finished with 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block and did play some defense.
The bench as a whole was not very impressive. Tony continued is inconsistent play with 4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist in 15 minutes. Eddie had 5 points on 2-6 shooting along with 5 rebounds and 1 assist in 23 minutes. Gabe and O'Bryant played the last 1:36 after Doc had thrown in the towel and weren't a factor.

Leon as always played hard and finished with 5 points and 6 rebounds in his 12 minutes. Big Baby finished with 6 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assist in 11 minutes.

The hardest part about watching this game was watching the Knicks out-hustle the Celtics on both ends of the court. The Celtics were out-rebounded 46-45 and rebounding numbers usually show the effort a team puts out. The Knicks played great defense and the Celtics seemed to have forgotten how to play defense. I really hope the Celtics figure out how to get back on track because watching efforts like tonight isn't fun at all. There is no way the Knicks, playing just 7 players should have beaten the Celtics. The Cavs lost tonight and the Celtics had the chance to put some space between them and they didn't take advantage. Maybe they are tired. Maybe they are hurting. Whatever the problem, hopefully they will figure it out and get back on the winning track soon. It's not going to get any easier.

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