Knicks at Celtics
The Boston Celtics seek their 13th straight home win when they finish a five-game stay at TD Garden with a Friday night matchup against the reeling New York Knicks. Perhaps the most impressive of the 12 consecutive wins in Boston was Wednesday's 116-93 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers, who had won 14 of their previous 16 games.
Isaiah Thomas scored 30 points and five others hit double figures as the Celtics stayed within 4 1/2 games of second-place Toronto in the Eastern Conference and pulled to 6 1/2 games behind East-leading Cleveland. "Teams, players, the NBA -- they still don't respect us. And we know that," Thomas told reporters. "We go into every game with a chip on our shoulder knowing that we have to earn the respect, and we have to earn what we get, and take what's ours. We feel like every game we've got a chance to win if we play the right brand of basketball." While Boston looks stronger by the day, New York is in a tailspin with 15 losses in 18 games. There seems to be a daily drama surrounding star forward Carmelo Anthony, who had 23 points and 10 rebounds in a 19-point home loss to Portland the last time out and punctuated the night by telling a frustrated fan to ask owner James Dolan for his money back.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), CSN New England (Boston)
ABOUT THE KNICKS (25-37): New York is 10-19 on the road and plays seven of its next eight games away from home, a stretch that could cement the team's third straight losing season. Among the few positives in the loss to the Blazers was the return from a one-game layoff by shooting guard Arron Afflalo, who had 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Seven reserves combined to go a woeful 7-of-36 from the floor as the Knicks fell a season-high 12 games below .500.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (37-25): While Thomas does the bulk of the scoring, Boston has unsung heroes at many other spots, one of whom - Jared Sullinger - is quietly on an impressive run of his own. Sullinger needed just 24 minutes to notch 15 points and 11 rebounds versus Portland for his fifth double-double in the last eight games, all in 31 minutes or less. After the Knicks leave town, the Celtics have six straight games against teams currently in a playoff position.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Thomas is averaging 25 points and 7.3 assists in three games against the Knicks this season.
2. Anthony hit 36.5 percent of his 3-point shots in November, 33.9 percent in December, 28.9 percent in January, 27 percent in February and was 0-for-3 from beyond the arc in the first game this month.
3. New York entered Thursday leading the NBA in foul shooting (80.9 percent), while Boston was sixth (79 percent).