NEW YORK — No fantastic finish needed for the Boston Celtics this time. They simply spoiled Madison Square Garden’s postseason homecoming party right from the start.
Paul Pierce scored 38 points, Ray Allen added 32, and Rajon Rondo tied Bob Cousy’s franchise playoff- record 20 assists as Boston beat the New York Knicks 113-96 on Friday night to take a 3-0 lead in their series.
Rondo had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who pulled out two close games in Boston but never trailed in this one, dominating the first playoff game at Madison Square Garden in seven years. They will go for the sweep Sunday afternoon. No NBA team has lost a series after winning the first three games.
After winning the two games in Boston despite trailing in the final half-minute of both, the Celtics scored the first nine points of this one and never really let it get much closer.
“You can’t give them that big an opening that they can smell blood,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said.
Carmelo Anthony had 15 points and 11 rebounds but shot 4-for-16 for the Knicks, who were booed as they walked off the court trailing by 23 points after three quarters.
With Chauncey Billups sidelined again with a knee injury, Amar’e Stoudemire limited by his back spasms and Anthony unable to duplicate his 42-point performance from Game 2, the Knicks lacked the firepower to match the defending Eastern Conference champions.
“It’s tough knowing that Amar’e’s not 100 percent, Chauncey’s not 100 percent and we’re just trying to find our way on the fly right now,” Anthony said. “That’s a tough situation but I think that would be making excuses if I sit here and say that they beat us because we’re not at full strength.”
Stoudemire was just 2-for-8 for seven points, admitting he was trying to avoid contact on drives to the basket. He said he wasn’t 100 percent and knows he won’t be Sunday, either.
“I felt good enough to play but I wasn’t 100 percent,” he said. “I just wanted to show some courage out there for the fans of New York.”
