The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics are playing live on the NBA schedule on Friday and the game at TD Garden starts up at 7:30 pm ET and has NY in a free-fall with a banged up Carmelo Anthony and now the team has Rajon Rondo and Marcus Smart to deal with as the Atlantic division rivals face off.
The Knicks are a team in turmoil right now and they have just four wins on the season as they head out to play Boston after losing to the Spurs in Texas on Wednesday. Carmelo Anthony is dealing with knee issues and he is also the subject of some trade rumors right now and nothing is really going right this season for the Knicks. The team is above the Sixers in the standings but that isn't saying much and they will next play against the Toronto Raptors on the schedule on Sunday.
The team comes in with a 4-20 record and they have not won a game this month and they are ranked 27th in the league in scoring. Anthony has been called out as selfish by some teammates and things with the Knicks appear to be falling apart fast. The team comes in after getting 23 points from Tim Hardaway and now Anthony is dealing with some knee pain and he may eventually need surgery.
The Knicks have lost 10 games in a row and they have lost 12 of the past 13 and their last win was against those Sixers. The team has played in some close games, but they have also been blown out and right now the triangle doesn't appear to be working. Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher have five years on their contracts along with Anthony, but right now it looks like things are not heading in the right direction. The team hopes to sign one of Rajon Rondo or Marc Gasol next summer, but the way the team is playing now makes it seem unlikely that it will happen.
The Knicks have some tough games coming up with the Raptors and the Mavericks as well as the Bulls and later in the month they play against the Raptors again along with the Wizards. The team also has a Christmas game against Washington and they play on the road out west against the Blazers and Clippers, two of the best teams in the NBA.
The Celtics come into the game with seven wins on the season and they just lost against the Hornets and will next play against the Sixers on the road. The team comes in after getting a double-double from Rajon Rondo, while Jeff Green led the team in points. The Celtics are above the Knicks in the standings and they are scoring a ton, as they rank sixth in the league, but they are 28th in scoring defense. The team is also ninth in rebounding and third in assists per game.
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