REVENGE-SEEKING CELTICS HAMMER KNICKS AS NTILIKINA SITS AGAIN
Celtics get revenge on Knicks for upset with blowout on national TV
BOSTON — The Celtics are finally winning and not losing their memories.
Thursday night’s game stood to be a dicey challenge for David Fizdale’s baby Knicks, making their TNT season debut two weeks after shocking the Celtics on Thanksgiving Eve in Boston.
“It’s definitely a game that I remember, so as a competitor I can’t wait to play,” Kyrie Irving said before the game.
There was no Thanksgiving magic this time for the Knicks. This was a much more inspired Celtics group than the one last month that fell behind the Knicks by 26 points in the first half en route to a stunning defeat.
On national TV, the Celtics got even in a 128-100 wire-to-wire victory at TD Garden in a contest that really only got lopsided in fourth-quarter garbage time.
“I’ve been thinking about them since we lost to them,’’ Irving said after posting a team-high 22 points and eight assists. “There’s a few teams we owe. I still remember certain players from other teams asking what’s going on with us when we were 10-10. I want that same competition and just seeing where we end up a few games from here.”
The Celtics (14-10) won their fourth straight. The Knicks, playing without 2017 first-round pick Frank Ntilikina, who was a DNP for the third straight game, fell to 8-18.
The Knicks gave up 30-plus points in each of the first three quarters. Asked about the defense, Fizdale said, “Terrible. We were Swiss cheese.’’
Before tipoff, Fizdale talked of New York being an attractive freeagent destination, and it’s never a bad idea to look good in front of free-agent-to-be Irving. But the Knicks were without Trey Burke (knee), who carried them to last month’s win here.
“I hate being on the other end of it, but he’s one of those guys I would pay to see,’’ Fizdale said of Irving. “He’s just so hard to keep in front of you when he’s coming down from 27 feet and making that shot.’’
The Celtics blasted off to a 6-0 lead and Irving scored nine points in the opening five minutes.
“We should have fun kicking people’s ass,’’ Irving said. “We really should.”
The Knicks couldn’t contain Boston in a 69-58 first half, but stayed at least within shouting distance for three quarters.
“You’re not going to win in this league giving up 30 points in every single quarter,’’ said Tim Hardaway Jr., who popped in 22 points, going 6-of-13 from the 3-point line.
Last time, Burke carried the Knicks to victory, but Thursday they had no off-the-bench spark.
“We were in it but ran out of gas,’’ said Burke, who hasn’t ruled out a return for Sunday’s game against Charlotte. “They were hungry. They wanted this one.’’
Ntilikina was available and Fizdale suggested he probably should have dusted off the Frenchman.
“I probably should have,’’ Fizdale said. “It’s not like he’s out. It’s going to be a long season. Frank will get his opportunity.’’
Hardaway said he expected “an all-out war’’ and early in the second half, Boston’s Marcus Morris, a notoriously dirty player, hit him in the back of his head as Hardaway got through a screen. He dropped to the court and stayed down for a minute. Morris was issued a flagrant foul after a video review.
Shooting 6-of-22, the Knicks were outscored 29-16 in the final period as their deficit became large.
“We were right there slugging it away with them, and then in the fourth we just couldn’t get the ball in the hole,’’ Fizdale said.