Even with star forward Kevin Garnett sidelined by a suspension, the NBA champions, Boston Celtics, had more than enough power to handle the New York Knicks.
Paul Pierce scored 22 points, while Kendrick Perkins added 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen each scored 15 points as Boston beat New York 110-101 on Tuesday.
The Celtics, who improved to 6-1 at home, had to play without Garnett because he was suspended for making two flailing swipes in retaliation to Milwaukee center Andrew Bogut on Saturday. He lost US$200,000 as a result.
Australian Bogut’s two swipes to the face of Garnett late in the fourth quarter earned an ejection but Garnett remained in the game. That made Celtics coach Doc Rivers wonder about the sense of banishing Garnett.
“You don’t replace Kevin Garnett. Everyone just has to pitch in and do a little bit more,” Rivers said.
“I was just surprised. I thought it was a ridiculous suspension. Anybody who’s been around the game long enough, whether you’ve played it or not, you’ve got your head sideways and someone strikes you not once but twice. Your reaction? Your reflex is to flail,” he said. “I guess that constitutes a punch. Clearly, he’s not a good fighter if that’s the case, if that’s a punch. There’s nothing you can do about it.”
Rivers compared Garnett’s foul to a flagrant foul that Phoenix center Shaquille O’Neal committed on Detroit’s Rodney Stuckey, which brought him no suspension, only a US$25,000 fine.
“I just want more consistency from our league. I think they have to look at things differently,” Rivers said. “I hate to call out Shaq, but that was a hard foul, where a guy was suspended in the air and comes down on his face. Those two things don’t go together, and we have to pay the price.”
The Celtics had their comfortable 15-point fourth-quarter lead cut to just four before steadying to beat the Knicks.
Brian Scalabrine, who started in place of Garnett, hit a three-pointer with 1:14 left to push the margin back out to seven points and put the game in Boston’s keeping.
Wilson Chandler, aided by the absence of Garnett, scored 23 points to lead the Knicks, while Zach Randolph added 18 points and eight rebounds.
The defending champion Celtics, who were playing without Garnett for the first time this season, became the first team in the new campaign to reach 10 wins.
CAVALIERS 106, NETS 82
In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Cleveland won its eighth straight, cruising past New Jersey.
Cleveland’s LeBron James scored 31 points, showing the New York area teams what might be available on the free agency market in 2010.
James added eight rebounds, four assists and a remarkable blocked shot in the third quarter when he chased down Devin Harris on a fastbreak and prevented a dunk.
MAGIC 103, RAPTORS 90
In Orlando, Florida, Orlando withstood a season-high 40 points from Chris Bosh to beat Toronto.
Jameer Nelson scored a season-high 22 points for the Magic, who built a 13-point third-quarter lead before hanging on for its eighth win in nine games.
Bosh also had 18 rebounds, but the Raptors had 24 turnovers.
LAKERS 116, BULLS 109
In Los Angeles, the home team rebounded from its only loss of the season to defeat Chicago.
Pau Gasol scored 24 of his season-high 34 points in the first half for the Lakers, who had three days to contemplate a loss to Detroit.
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