CHICAGO -- Despite their inconsistencies and injury woes, the New York Knicks have quietly moved into second place in the Eastern Conference standings by winning their fifth consecutive game Tuesday night.
The feat came at the expense of the slipping Boston Celtics, who lost emphatically at the TD Boston Garden, 100-85. J.R. Smith led New York with 32 points off the bench while the mending Carmelo Anthony registered 29 and eight rebounds despite shooting only 10-for-30 from the field. No other Knick scored in double figures but Steve Novak and Kenyon Martin had nine apiece.
"It's not easy winning in Boston. We played a solid forty-eight minute ball game. Everybody that played contributed to it. And I thought our defense set the tone in terms of how we played," Knicks head coach Charles Woodson told NBA.com.
At 43-26, the Knicks are still 12 1/2 games behind the 56-14 Miami Heat for the best record in the Eastern Conference. New York, however, is now No.2, ahead of the No.3 Indiana Pacers (44-27).
Without Kevin Garnett (left ankle inflammation) and Courtney Lee (left ankle sprain), Paul Pierce did everything to prevent the Celtics' five-game slide, but his all-around effort of 16 points, six rebounds and six assists, was hardly enough. Jeff Green, playing in place of Garnett in the power forward slot, put together 19 while Jordan Crawford had 14. (Homer D. Sayson)
Photo: Paul Pierce's 16 points, six rebounds and six assists couldn't end the Celtics' losing streak.
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