Celtics 112, Knicks 102: "Time for the playoffs."

It is so very much time for the playoffs (headline comment comes from I Hate Olajuwon. Timely). The Knicks and Cetlics (and, I would imagine, a lot of other teams) went out Wednesday night and demonstrated that the regular season has run its course. An air of "School's out!" and/or "No parents!" pervaded, suggesting that warm weather basketball is on its way, and with it the pursuit of very big things. Tonight, we witnessed the Knicks and Celtics do many little, strange things, almost as if to purge them from their systems in advance of a first round match-up. Our recap tonight will mostly serve as documentation of the various nonsense that took place so that this game might be commemorated by generations to come.

1. Amar'e Stoudemire started, did not aggravate his ankle injury or hurt himself otherwise, and shot 6-15 in 20 minutes. The outcome of the return to the floor ended up being a justification for the endeavor itself (Tautology?). Amar'e looked a little rusty, a little out of rhythm, and generally in need of some calibration before he could be counted upon. I'd like to believe that he worked the kinks (some rimmy jumpers, a shanked dunk) out of the system in anticipation of Game 1 so that he didn't have to do it during Game 1.

2. Jeff Green caught an alley-oop pass from Glen Davis and put down a pretty impressive soaring dunk in transition, only to have it carom off his head before it passed all the way through the net. Zero points to Boston.

3. Jared Jeffries snaggled an offensive rebound, looked around frantically for somebody to whom he could surrender the ball, realized he was wide open, and promptly thrust a layup that bounced off the backboard without so much as approaching the rim.

- It's kind of funny to me that Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins are good friends, as it occasionally is for me with teammates of disparate heights. What do they talk about?

4. Derrick Brown hit a three!

5. Anthony Carter ran shit for a bit! In that second half, he blocked a shot, then scuttled coast-to-coast and threw a beautiful bounce pass to a cutting Shawne Williams for a dunk, which was awesome. He finished with 9 points and 6 assists (3 turnovers, though) in 20 minutes, and I think he should see some minutes in the playoffs.

6. Bill Walker rather flagrantly sack-tapped Sasha Pavlovic on a corner three-point attempt. Sasha and his genitals took exception, and the two (Sasha and Bill, that is) briefly exchanged unpleasantries. All sorts of bizarre free throws ensued. I really didn't follow the ruling, but I wasn't trying very hard.

7.Jared Jeffries blocked Glen Davis's dunk into the crook of the rim, which resulted in a jump ball.

8. 16 and 7 for Landry Fields, who looked sharp. That dude, like Amar'e, made some pre-series progress in this game, I thought.

9. Derrick Brown missed like five or six putback attempts while Shelden Williams hunched over in agony after turning his ankle. Shelden sat, but went on to be okay. Derrick never did put that ball back in the hoop.

And so ends a 42-40 Knicks season. Now it is time.