Celtics Vs. Knicks: Rajon Rondo's Impact Felt In Return On Friday

BOSTON - Rajon Rondo had missed eight consecutive games prior to Friday night's showdown with the New York Knicks at TD Garden.

Recovering from a right wrist injury, Rondo had been getting closer and closer to making a return with every game the Boston Celtics had played. Game after game, Rondo continued to be absent. Yet the Celtics did relatively well without their star point guard, winning six of the eight games he missed.

On Friday, the Celtics got their man back, and they got another win in the process. Rondo played 34 minutes in Boston's thrilling 91-89 victory over the rival Knicks and finished with seven points and seven assists.

"I thought he played well," said Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. "I mean, he was rusty, obviously. And I thought he played a little gingerly with his hand at times. You know, we'll asses it (Saturday) and see how he feels and keep going. You don't miss that amount of games and then don't practice at all and then walk into an NBA game and play well. That's just hard to do."

It was clear that Rondo was not at his usual All-Star level, but it was good to have the Celtics' floor general back in action.

"It was just good to have Rondo on the floor," said Chris Wilcox, who played a pivotal role in Boston's second-half comeback and finished with six points and four rebounds coming off the bench. "We've been going through a stretch of games and we've been winning and things like that and then to bring him back only helps our team. Tonight he was kind of timid, didn't want to get his hand hurt and stuff like that, but he worked through it, he played hard and we came out with a W."

Rondo's first half of play was relatively uneventful. In 19 minutes, Rondo had one point and four dishes. The second half, though, was much better. And even though Rondo didn't look perfect, he played much better, totaling six points and three assists in the half.

"I thought he got a good flow. He got more aggressive," Rivers said of Rondo's second-half performance. "I think he just kind of threw caution to the wind and just started playing. I think when you're injured and you come back you've got to have a breakthrough moment like that, and hopefully he's had it."

Avery Bradley had received the majority of Rondo's minutes while he was on the shelf and served as Rondo's primary backup on Friday, usurping rookie E'Twaun Moore.

Bradley had three points and three rebounds in 16 minutes on the court Friday, and the second-year guard played key minutes down the stretch in the fourth quarter.

"The defense was great," Rivers said of both Rondo and Bradley. "Avery put amazing ball pressure on. And it was what we talked about - but then at the end of the game you needed a guy that could run the offense. So, they both did their jobs."

Granted that Rondo didn't suffer any unseen setbacks on Friday, he will continue to work his way back into the lineup on Sunday when the C's host the Memphis Grizzlies at noon.

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Paul Pierce Injury: Celtics' Captain Hints At Hip Injury On Friday

BOSTON - Boston Celtics captain Paul Pierce said that he has regressed recently health wise, even hinting at a possible hip injury following the C's thrilling 91-89 win over the New York Knicks on Friday evening at TD Garden.

Pierce had a fabulous game, leading all scorers with 30 points on 8-of-21 shooting and had seven rebounds, five assists and one steal in the win. Pierce scored 11 of his 30 total points in the second quarter and scored 15 in the final half.

If he does have a hip injury, it would be the second ailment to sidetrack the C's captain this season. Pierce missed Boston's first three games with a bruised right heel and didn't fully find his groove until several weeks into his return.

Pierce did not say that he expected to miss any time because of the potential ailment.

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Celtics 91, Knicks 89: Paul Pierce Leads Second Half Resurgence

BOSTON - Boston beat New York by a safety on Friday night, a result that Celtics captain Paul Pierce hopes will repeat itself on Sunday when those other teams from these two cities, the Patriots and Giants, meet in Super Bowl XLVI.

Pierce scored a game-high 30 points, scoring 15 points in each half, as the C's played lockdown defense when it mattered the most to seal a 91-89 victory over the Knicks on Friday night at TD Garden.

Pierce was 8-for-21 from the field and also had seven rebounds and five assists. Boston held New York to 42.5 percent shooting in the win while allowing 17 points in both the third and fourth quarters. In the final period, the Knicks made just 8-of-23 field goals to shoot 34.8 percent.

"I think it starts with our defense," Pierce said of the strong fourth quarter. "Rajon Rondo really came in and took control of the offense, Ray Allen got hot late. That was a gritty win, because we didn't play well. Calls didn't really go our way, but calls didn't really go their way either. We found a way to win, and it was a good win."

Boston found itself down 55-49 at halftime, but outscored New York 20-17 in the third and 22-17 in the fourth. Entering the final quarter, the C's were down 72-69. Pierce and Ray Allen led the offensive charge in the fourth, with pierce scoring five points and Allen adding nine points down the stretch.

Chris Wilcox (six points, four rebounds) made two free throws to tie the game at 77 all with 7:43 to play. Carmelo Anthony, who scored a team-high 26 points on 8-of-17 shooting, traded buckets with Brandon Bass to make the score 79 all with 6:17 to go.

Allen drained his first of two threes in the quarter on a 25-footer at 4:24 and made a free throw following a technical foul on Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni. Pierce made a 20-foter and Allen hit a three and had a layup to put Boston up 90-85 with 1:57 remaining.

New York answered with four straight points, bringing the game within one point at 90-89 with just under one minute and 30 seconds to go. Pierce made a leaning three as the shot clock expired, putting Boston up 93-89 at the time, but upon further review it was called off. Nevertheless, Landry Fields missed the potential game-winning three in the corner and Pierce made one of two free throws to put Boston up by three. Steve Novak's desperation three was no good as the clock wound down, and Boston escaped with its second straight win.

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Celtics Vs. Knicks Final Score: Boston Rallies Past New York, 91-89

BOSTON - Paul Pierce led a big second-half rally and Ray Allen chipped in with a couple of timely baskets as the Boston Celtics came back to top the New York Knicks, 91-89, on Friday night at TD Garden.

Pierce finished with 30 points, 15 of which he scored in the second half, and Allen had 14 points. Kevin Garnett fueled the C's in the first half, scoring 13. He finished with 15 points and eight rebounds for Boston (12-10), which made 31-of-76 field goals to shoot 41 percent.

Carmelo Anthony was impressive as always, leading the Knicks (8-15) with his 26 points. Tyson Chandler made his presence felt in the paint and finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds while Amar'e Stoudemire totaled 16 points and 11 rebounds. New York shot 43 percent.

Boston and New York now have one win against each other this season. The Celtics remain home and will host the Grizzlies on Sunday afternoon.

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Celtics Vs. Knicks Halftime Score: Boston Trails 55-49 At Halftime

BOSTON - Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett paced the Boston Celtics in the first half, scoring 15 and 13 points respectively, but the C's trail the New York Knicks, 55-49, at halftime of Friday night's contest at TD Garden.

Mickael Pietrus led the Celtics' bench with six points. Ray Allen had five points and Rajon Rondo, making his return from a right wrist injury, had one point and four assists in 19 minutes. Boston shot 46 percent from the field in the half.

Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 15 points as New York shot 46 percent from the floor. Tyson Chandler totaled 10 points and six rebounds while Amar'e Stoudemire totaled nine points to go along with six boards for New York.

The Celtics fell back into old habits to open the game, falling behind 11-5 early. Led by Kevin Garnett, who scored six points in the first six minutes, Boston rallied to tie the game at 13 all with 5:19 to play in the opening quarter. After the Knicks built a little momentum late in the quarter, the green rallied again to knot the game at 25. Jeremy Lin was fouled with 00.1 left on the clock and made two free throws, giving New York a 28-27 advantage after one quarter.

Boston got off to a very slow start in the second, scoring only five points through six minutes and trailed New York, 38-32. New York pulled away late in the quarter, but Pierce came alive to cut the deficit to six points lead heading into the break.

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Celtics Vs. Knicks: Rajon Rondo In, Marquis Daniels Out Friday Night

BOSTON - Rajon Rondo will make his highly anticipated return to action on Friday night when the Boston Celtics host the New York Knicks at TD Garden. Rondo had missed the last eight games while recovering from a sore wright wrist.

Rondo is the Celtics' second-leading scorer, averaging 15.0 points, and leads the team in assists (9.4 APG) and steals (1.7 SPG). Rondo injured his wrist on January 18 against the Toronto Raptors on a flagrant foul in the third quarter. Rondo finished with 21 points and two assists in that game.

Marquis Daniels, however, will not play on Friday, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers told the media in his pregame briefing. Daniels tweaked his foot, but Rivers does not expect Daniels to miss an extended period of time.

For more pregame news and notes, listen to Rivers' pregame interview below.

AUDIO: Doc Rivers Pregame Interview (2-3-12)

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Celtics Vs. Knicks: TV/Radio Schedule, Time, Odds And More

Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks come to town to face Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics in a Super Bowl warmup act on Friday night in Boston.

Event: New York Knicks (8-14) vs. Boston Celtics (11-10) - NBA Regular Season, Game 22.

Date/Time: Friday, February 3, 2012 - 8:00 p.m. EDT.

Location: TD Garden (Capacity: 18,624), Boston, MA.

Broadcast Info: Friday night's game between the Celtics and Knicks will be televised nationally on ESPN. The game will be aired regionally on Comcast SportsNet New England, with Mike Gorman, Tommy Heinsohn and Greg Dickerson/Kyler Draper serving as the broadcast team. In addition, the game can be heard on the WEEI Sports Radio Network, with Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell calling their 1,000th game together.

Odds: Boston is a 6 1/2-point favorite over New York, with the over-under set at 110 points.

Celtics Roster 2011-12: Ray Allen, Brandon Bass, Avery Bradley, Marquis Daniels,Keyon Dooling, Kevin Garnett, JaJuan Johnson, E'Twaun Moore, Jermaine O'Neal, Sasha Pavlovic, Mickael Pietrus, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Greg Stiemsma,Chris Wilcox. Head Coach: Doc Rivers.

Knicks Roster 2011-12: Carmelo Anthony, Renaldo Balkman, Mike Bibby, Tyson Chandler, Baron Davis, Toney Douglas, Landry Fields, Josh Harrellson, Jared Jeffries, Jerome Jordan, Steve Novak, Iman Shumpert, Amar'e Stoudemire, Bill Walker. Head Coach: Mike D'Antoni.

Celtics And Knicks In 2011: Boston went 56-26 in the regular season before sweeping the Knicks in the field round of the playoffs. However, the Celtics fell short in the conference semifinals, losing to the eventual conference champion Miami Heat.

New York went 42-40 in the regular season and finished second in the Eastern Conference Atlantic Division behind the Celtics, but were swept out of the playoffs in four games by Boston in the opening round.

Boston and New York met four times in the regular season last year, with the Celtics winning each matchup. In addition, the two teams met four times in the postseason, with Boston winning all four games.

Last Meeting: Boston and New York met once already this campaign in the season opener on Christmas Day in New York City. The Celtics fell behind early, but made a glorious comeback to take a lead heading into the fourth quarter. However, Carmelo Anthony stole the show back in the fourth and finished with a game-high 37 points to lead the Knicks to a thrilling 106-104 victory. Rajon Rondo finished with 31 points and 13 assists while both Ray Allen and Brandon Bass scored 20 points for Boston. In addition, Kevin Garnett had 15 points and eight rebounds in the loss.

Last Time Out: Boston is coming off its biggest win of the season, thrashing the hapless Toronto Raptors, 100-64, on Wednesday evening.Paul Pierce, who missed the season-opening loss against New York, led the Celtics with 17 points and and eight assists while Ray Allen and Brandon Bass scored 12 and both Avery Bradley and JaJuan Johnson added 11 points for Boston.

Meanwhile, the Knicks were bested by the Chicago Bulls, 105-102, on Thursday. Amar'e Stoudemire had 34 points and 11 rebounds while Anthony racked up 26 points and six boards as the Knicks shot 48.9 percent. Landry Fields scored 17, Iman Shumpert had 10 points and eight assists and Tyson Chandler had nine points and eight rebounds.

Stats Central: Paul Pierce is the Celtics' leading scorer, averaging 17.8 points. Rajon Rondo is the team's leader in assists per game (9.4) and steals (1.7). Kevin Garnett averages a team-high 7.2 rebounds and Jermaine O'Neal is averaging a team-leading 1.4 blocks. Boston ranks 25th in the league in scoring (90.3 PPG), 29th in team rebounding (38.6 RPG), seventh in assists (22.1 APG) and second in points allowed (86.9 PPG).

Carmelo Anthony is the Knicks' leading scorer, averaging 23.8 points. Tyson Chandler is averaging 10.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while Anthony averages 4.3 assists and Iman Shumpert averages 2.1 steals. New York is ranked 15th in the league in scoring ((94.6 PPG), 17th in rebounding (41.9 RPG), 23rd in assists (18.9 APG) and 16th in points allowed (95.1 PPG).

Storyline: Consider this a Super Bowl warm up act. While we'll have to wait until Sunday for the Patriots and Giants to duke it out in Super Bowl XLVI, we'll get a taste of the storied Boston-New York rivalry on Friday. Well, sort of. Boston and new York played in a couple of dandies last season, and they also had a great game in the NBA season opener this year. The Celtics fell just short in round one, so you can expect them to come out with energy and motivation.

The continued storyline of note for the Celtics is their health. This team has missed countless players throughout the season, and the injury bug hasn't gone away. Rajon Rondo has missed eight straight games, and he is a game-time decision. Rondo was participating in shootaround earlier in the day, giving Celtics fans hope that he might play.

What else should we expect in this game? Well, being on ESPN, you should expect tons and tons of hype for the Super Bowl using the Boston-New York angle. I'm sure we'll get a lot of that inside TD Garden, too. From a basketball standpoint, both of these teams are not where they would have hoped to be at this point in the season. This game will be a good proving ground for each side to gauge where they are at heading into the middle of the season.

Players To Watch: Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire are without a doubt the two best players on the court. When 'Melo gets going, few can stop him. The same can be said for Amar'e, so keep an eye on those two. In all likelihood, both will have solid games.

For Boston, they might get a boost by the return of Rajon Rondo, who has missed significant time dealing with a right wrist injury. Ray Allen is also back in action, which should help the Celtics on the scoring end. And as always, watch out for point forward Paul Pierce, who has filled in at the point admirably in the absence of Rondo.

Prediction: It's foolish to try and predict games between Boston and New York teams. In the end, it usually winds up being horribly off base. But I'll give it a shot. Both teams keep it close, but the Celtics get revenge for the early season loss in New York. Final Score: Celtics 94, Knicks 89.

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Rajon Rondo Injury Update: Celtics Guard Game-Time Decision Against Knicks

After participating in a Friday morning shoot-around, Rajon Rondo is considered a game-time decision against the New York Knicks Friday night at the TD Garden, the team announced.

Even recently, Rondo noted that he had not yet dribbled a basketball since injuring his wrist in a fall on Jan. 18 against the Toronto Raptors. But he returned to the court for Friday morning's shoot-around, looking "the most active we've seen him since the injury," according to CSNNE's A. Sherrod Blakely.

Rondo has missed the last eight games with a sprained right wrist. The Celtics are 6-2 in his absence, rising above .500 at 11-10 for the first time since they were 4-3. Young guards Avery Bradley and E'Twaun Moore have garnered valuable experience during Rondo's lengthy absence, but the Celtics could use the return of their All-Star guard.

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Celtics Schedule 2012: C's Host The Knicks and Grizzlies

The 11-10 Boston Celtics will try to continue their hot play this weekend when they host the New York Knicks and Memphis Grizzlies. The C's have won two consecutive games, and six of their last seven, but still trail the first place Philadelphia 76ers by 4.5 games in the Atlantic Division.

At 8-14 the Knicks are reeling in more ways than one. They're coming off a home loss to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night and have lost 10 of their last 12 games. The duo of Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony has yet to produce favorable results on the court.

The Grizzlies have won two consecutive games against admirable competition in the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks. Prior to dropping the Nuggets in overtime on Tuesday night the Grizzlies had lost four games in a row. They play the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Friday night.

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Celtics Vs. Knicks: Boston Hosts New York In Super Bowl Warmup

Consider it a Super Bowl warmup act. Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks (8-14) come to town to face the Boston Celtics (11-10) in a nationally televised affair at 8 p.m. EDT on Friday night (TV/Radio: ESPN, CSN/WEEI).