C's Steal One In New York

With about 7:30 left in the fourth quarter and coming out of a timeout, the Knicks faithful in Madison Square Garden started a very loud "BOSTON SUCKS" chant, which drew a smile from Paul Pierce. The Celtics were down 82-73 but they had a confident look on their faces as if they already knew the outcome of the game. Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Garnett's loud dunk over Ronny Turiaf and his fully extended dive to force a jump ball late in the fourth quarter sparked the team but it was Pierce's efficiency late in the game that sealed the deal. Pierce scored 9 of his 21 points after that timeout and led the C's to an impressive 96-86 win, pushing them to 50-19 on the season. Rajon Rondo, who had been scuffling lately, had a strong outing with 13 points and 12 assists. The Celts now have 13 remaining games that will serve as a tuneup for a playoff run that is expected to end with a championship celebration. Three important road games with the Spurs, Bulls, and Heat stand out over the last month but the important thing will be for them to stay healthy and be completely ready for the playoffs.