Celtics at Knicks
The Boston Celtics saw their season-best five-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday, but their high-scoring offense remains intact. The Celtics will try to post 110 points or more for the seventh straight game when they visit the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
Boston has scored over 100 points in 12 consecutive games but let up on the defensive end in a 119-114 loss at Orlando on Sunday. The Celtics are torching other teams in the backcourt, and Avery Bradley, Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Smart each did their parts with a combined 71 points against the Magic. The Knicks’ strength is up front, where Carmelo Anthony and rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis do their best work. The two stars have both been battling nagging injuries and have seen their production slip of late, leading to five losses in the last six games.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN New England (Boston), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE CELTICS (27-22): Smart has been a strong defensive player since entering the league last season, but the offense has come along slowly. Smart is the leader of the second unit and has scored in double figures in seven of the last 10, including a career high-tying 26 points in Sunday’s setback. “Marcus is a guy that adds value to the group, defensively, for sure,” Boston coach Brad Stevens told reporters. “And then, the way we like to play, I like having multiple ball handlers on the floor at once. And he can play off the ball, post a little, or play with it."
ABOUT THE KNICKS (23-27): New York’s lone win in the last six games came against the rapidly imploding Phoenix Suns at home on Friday, and they followed it up with a 116-95 loss to Golden State. Anthony (24 points) and Porzingis (14) were the top scorers for the Knicks in Sunday’s loss but combined to go 11-of-26 from the floor as part of a 36.7 percent shooting effort from the Knicks. “We had a few guys who shot the ball well for us this season, didn’t shoot it well (Sunday) percentage-wise,” New York coach Derek Fisher told reporters. “We definitely needed another guy to have a decent type of night.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Celtics PF Amir Johnson is averaging 9.6 rebounds in the last five games.
2. Knicks SG Arron Afflalo is shooting 32.1 percent from the field in the last six games.
3. New York snapped a four-game losing streak in the series with a 120-114 win over Boston on Jan. 12.