Wilson Chandler scored 23, and Zach Randolph had 18 points and eight rebounds for the Knicks, who have lost seven straight games against Boston but were hoping to gain ground in the Atlantic Division.
Garnett did not miss a game last year until Jan. 27, when he began a nine-game stint in street clothes because of an abdominal strain; the Celtics were 9-2 in all without him during their NBA championship run. But he was suspended for throwing a punch at Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut on Saturday and forced to sit out one game.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers decided to start Scalabrine, the little-used big man, rather than pull Leon Powe off the second unit and upset his rotation. Powe scored 14 with seven rebounds off the bench and played most of the fourth quarter, but Scalabrine came back in during the final minutes and squared up after the Knicks came within a pair of baskets.
Scalabrine also hit back-to-back long jumpers in the third, one of them a 3-pointer, for his only other baskets of the night.
Notes: A pushing match between Powe and Randolph led to a double technical in the second quarter. ... Duke University president Richard Brodhead was in the crowd. ... The Celtics improved to 7-1 when trailing after one quarter. ... Boston had a 24-14 rebounding edge in the first half and a 34-12 edge on points in the paint. ...
The Celtics were tied for fifth-fewest with 10 different starting lineups last season. ... Nate Robinson and Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni picked up technicals in the third. ... Pierce didn't play in the second quarter. ... Ray Allen, who scored 15, played the first 33 minutes before leaving for the first time with Boston ahead 77-68.
