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Celtics beat Knicks 87-85 on Allen's 3-pointer

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-04-19 08:50

BOSTON - Ray Allen jumped straight up with his eyes on the basket and the game on the line for the Boston Celtics.

Swish.

Then Carmelo Anthony had one last chance to win it for the New York Knicks.

Clang.

Allen hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 12 seconds left off a pass from Paul Pierce and Anthony misfired on his long try at the other end, giving the Celtics an 87-85 comeback victory over the Knicks in their playoff opener on Sunday night.

"Ray's the hero with the shot," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "Paul's the hero with the pass. That's a great example of not playing hero basketball, just trusting what we drew up. And he made the shot."

Allen led the Celtics with 24 points and Pierce added 18 to go along with solid defense on Anthony. Kevin Garnett had 15 points and 13 rebounds, and clamped down on Amare Stoudemire down the stretch.

Stoudemire had 28 points and 11 rebounds for New York, and Anthony finished with 15.

"It's all about our defense and execution down the stretch," Pierce said. "We can't rest on this victory because by no means was this our best basketball."

New York may have lost more than a game. Point guard Chauncey Billups left with 51 seconds remaining, and doctors told him the injury was a strained left knee or thigh muscle.

"I went to the basket and, as I took off on my leg it just kind of buckled on me," said Billups, who doesn't know if he will be available for Game 2 of the best-of-seven series on Tuesday night in Boston. "I'm in a lot of pain right now, but that's to be expected."

New York led 85-84 before Anthony was called for an offensive foul for pushing Pierce with 21 seconds remaining.

"What I thought and what they called were two different things," Anthony said.

Rivers disagreed.

"Heck of a call to make," he said, "but it was the right call."

Rajon Rondo then lined up to inbound the ball but called timeout. The next time, Allen inbounded from just in front of the half-court line on the right side. He threw the ball to Pierce, then circled to the other side of the court, caught Pierce's pass and fired up the deciding basket.

"We've run that play many times," Allen said. "It's a play that has so many options and tonight I was just the option."

Allen snapped Reggie Miller's NBA record of 2,560 3-pointers on Feb 10 in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on the same court where he came through on Sunday.

The Knicks then rushed downcourt and Anthony missed for the 10th time in 11 second-half shots. The Celtics got the rebound, the buzzer sounded and Rivers high-fived fans as he headed for the locker room.

Associated Press