Celtics 110, Knicks 94: Scenes from a mid-day drubbing

The Knicks took on the Eastern Conference’s finest in a quiet matinee contest. Boston manages to be an enemy in so many ways. Not only are they the team to beat in the division and the conference, they are the team to beat in the lottery. Yet since the Celtics pick is actually determined by how atrocious the Nets are, somehow the Knicks are getting bent over in two directions.

New York just couldn’t put much together this afternnon and the Celtics’ lead just continued to swell as time eroded. Boston’s force and certainty on defense was just much too much for the Knicks to get anything going. The crowd wasn’t into it and the home team didn’t do much to keep it from being a snoozer.

Speaking of crowds, Jae Crowder bopped the ball a couple times after clanging a free throw and the Celtics got tagged with their second delay of game in the very early going. A delay of game really penalizes the fan experience. It compounds the delay by nearly a full minute when it involves free throws and I think the rule should be looked at. That’s why I’m proposing a a rule change to the board of governors tomorrow morning. In my NBA, a second delay of game violation will result in a two-minute penalty (kind of like that ice ball game) where the violating team’s shot clock is 20 seconds. I’ll be accepting my Nobel Prize by video from the world’s best soup dumpling judge’s table.

So I guess the big news of the day was this Derrick Rose hullabaloo. Lisa Salters reported Rose’s torn meniscus as “bad news for the Knicks”. It’s bad news for Rose. Except that Ron Baker’s basic competence on defense and willingness to move the ball on offense might help them win a game or three when it’s all said and done. Then there’s the idea that Salters believes that this increases the likelihood that Rose returns to New York next season. In which case... yikes.

Well anyway, in this ultra extended garbage time game the 1999 finals-appearing party squad was in full effect.

There really wasn’t too much else to enjoy. But here’s Kyle O’Quinn’s career in a nutshell. Maneuvers himself into a tight spot, makes a “smart” “hustle” play, smashes somebody in the face, ball goes out on Kyle.

Knicks were down by nearly twenty for much of the first half. Then in the second half, Al Horford decided to make it pretty clear that the Knicks ought to just give up. Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Xzibit C.

A short time later Terry Rozier completely undressed the Knicks.

Good grief. This back breaking combo tipped the gurney over and it was just a layup line for the mean greenies afterward. Depressing. Full recap en route. Go (to town on) the Knicks.