BOSTON — The Boston Celtics pulled out their first two playoff games with big finishes.
“We were lucky to win,” coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday night after a 96-93 victory over the depleted New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony’s 42 points.
Kevin Garnett sank the go-ahead basket with 14 seconds left then stole the ball with four seconds remaining as the Knicks — without Amar’e Stoudemire for the second half and Chauncey Billups for the whole game — gave the Celtics all they could handle.
Billups had a strained left knee and his status for Game 3 on Friday night is uncertain. Stoudemire had back spasms but expects to be back when the first-round series resumes.
Rajon Rondo led the Celtics with a career playoff-high 30 points, 14 of them in the first quarter when he kept driving to the basket.
Anthony matched his career playoff high for points and set a new high with 17 rebounds as the Knicks held a 53-37 advantage on the boards. Toney Douglas had 14 points in place of Billups.
“The Celtics didn’t do anything special,” Anthony said. “They won two games on their home court. Now it’s our turn to go to our home court and try to do the same thing.”
Garnett hit the decisive jump hook after backing Jared Jeffries into the lane.
“I wasn’t really in a nice rhythm,” said Garnett, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds. “I just remained calm, went to a shot I knew I could make.”
Anthony was the obvious choice to shoot on New York’s final possession. So Paul Pierce and Glen Davis swarmed him when he got the ball just inches from Boston’s bench, forcing him to pass to Jeffries, who tried an interior pass instead of going up with the shot. Garnett said he was simply reacting when he made the steal.
