Knicks seek better outcome in rematch with Celtics
The New York Knicks get a chance to avenge the low point of their young season Friday night when they get a rematch with the host Boston Celtics.
The Knicks were generally uncompetitive in a 118-95 home loss to Boston on Saturday, a game in which the Celtics scorched the nets from beyond the arc, outscoring New York 45-21 on 3-pointers en route to the victory.
Knicks coach David Fizdale let his club know his thoughts about the performance after the game.
"We got punched and didn't answer the bell," he insisted to reporters. "That's very disappointing."
The Knicks responded with a 105-98 home win over the Chicago Bulls two nights later before beginning a two-game trip with a 95-83 loss at the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
They played the Orlando game without Dennis Smith Jr., who has left the team for personal reasons. He did not make the trip to Boston.
New York hopes to get Elfrid Payton (strained right hamstring) back for the game to share time at the point with Frank Ntilikina, who was a bright spot in the loss to the Magic with seven points, four rebounds and four assists off the bench.
Ntilikina, the former first-round pick, had played a total of just three minutes in New York's first three games before getting 22 minutes against Chicago, then 29 against Orlando.
The game represents a homecoming for Marcus Morris, who made 74 starts the last two seasons for the Celtics.
He got a one-year, $15 million deal from the Knicks in free agency over the summer after ranking second on the Celtics in rebounds (6.1) last season and fourth in scoring (13.9).
Morris had 12 points and seven rebounds against his former teammates last week.
While the Knicks have lost four of five, the Celtics haven't lost since opening night, rattling off three consecutive wins, including two at home against two Eastern heavyweights, the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks had the Celtics 19 points down on Wednesday night before the home team exploded in the second half for a 116-105 win.
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens applauded the resiliency.
"The key is how you handle good nights and then how you handle the storms that come invariably in the season," he told reporters after the game. "I'm really encouraged because when this team was in there at halftime, they were saying all the right things, they were thinking all the right things."
The Celtics played that game without guard Jaylen Brown, who was out with an illness. He remains questionable for Friday night.
Kemba Walker led the earlier win over the Knicks, hitting seven 3-pointers en route to 32 points.
Rookie RJ Barrett had 26 points in 37 minutes for New York, but has since totaled just 28 points in two games despite continuing to log substantial minutes.
The 19-year-old became the first teenager this season to log 40 or more minutes when he went 40 in Monday's win over the Bulls.
--Field Level Media
