Celtics at Knicks
THE STORY: Two of the NBA's most storied franchises enter the shortened 2011-12 season in vastly different mindsets. The Boston Celtics look to squeeze the last bit of playoff glory out of their aging Big Three, while the New York Knicks carry high aspirations thanks to a full season of Carmelo Anthony and the arrival of center Tyson Chandler. The northeast U.S. rivals meet Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden in the first game of the NBA season. The Celtics have had a rough offseason already, learning they'll be without talented forward Jeff Green due to heart issues. His absence carves into the depth of a Boston club already dealing with a heel injury to forward Paul Pierce that will likely keep him out of Sunday's game. Pierce (34), Kevin Garnett (35) and Ray Allen (36) will be relied upon to lead the Celtics to one final postseason push before the club decides what direction to head in next. New York is led by Anthony, Chandler and sensational power forward Amar'e Stoudemire, who join forces in what will be one of the most imposing frontcourts in the league.
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ABOUT THE CELTICS (2010-11: 56-26): Boston intends to dip into its bench more than in seasons past due to a condensed schedule that could play havoc with its older players. Green's loss hurts even more in that regard, but head coach Doc Rivers remains confident about his group of reserves led by offseason acquisition Brandon Bass and bruising forward Chris Wilcox. One weakness may be at center, where the club opens with brittle veteran Jermaine O'Neal as its starter.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (2010-11: 42-40): The acquisition of Chandler from the defending NBA-champion Dallas Mavericks was met with rabid optimism by a majority of Knicks fans who believed the team needed a third star to join Anthony and Stoudemire. While Chandler won't turn the Knicks into instant title contenders, his rebounding (9.4 per game last season) and shot blocking (1.1) will make a formidable frontcourt even more impressive.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Celtics swept the Knicks in the first round of last year's playoffs. Boston also won the regular-season series by a 4-0 count.
2. Rivers plans to use Garnett at center much more than he has in the past. "I think that at this point in his career it's not a bad spot for him," he said.
3. The Knicks signed veteran PG Baron Davis even though he will likely miss half the season with a herniated disk in his back. Davis was waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers last week.