Celtics Deal Knicks First Preseason Defeat

The eagerly anticipated duel between the new-look Celtics and Knicks began auspiciously for the New York on Wednesday night in a 101-61 preseason loss at Boston’s TD Banknorth Garden.

Knicks fans eager to see how Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph would perform together saw the combination of big men start off well right from the opening tipoff, as Curry slapped the ball to Randolph and then nailed a hook shot just 11 seconds into the game.

That good start did not last, however, as the Celtics showed the Knicks why so many people think they are the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 team. Boston outscored New York 30-18 in the opening quarter and never looked back.

Wednesday’s game was all about new faces, and the first quarter showed why so many pundits have proclaimed the Celtics to be a “team to beat”.

The famed troika of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen finished the first quarter with seven points each, with Garnett and Pierce, in particular, leading the way. Garnett was a defensive presence, with a pretty block of a Stephon Marbury jumper; meanwhile, Paul Pierce worked to distribute the ball, with three assists in the first quarter to go along with his points.

The trio started out strong and kept up the effort throughout the game, finishing with 49 of the team’s 101 points, and at times, they were simply unstoppable. Pierce scored 22 points to go with six rebounds and five assists; Garnett added 13, 8 and 3, while Allen chipped in 14 points.

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