Celtics top the Knicks in Prison rules game

As both P Twice and Rondo tweeted after the game, this definitely felt like a playoff game. Don't get me wrong, the Knicks are going to be real, real good. But they just aren't there yet. The Celtics are.

The Celtics played another somewhat lackluster first half. I heard Tommy blame it on the starters but I thought it had more to do with the bench play in the second quarter. That second quarter was some of the ugliest Celtics basketball I've seen. Delonte, Big Baby, and Jeff Green had been so solid against New Orleans, but couldn't muster any scoring there in that quarter.

Thanks to that performance we ended up being down 14 headed into the half. It seemed as if New York had all the momentum in the world. Spike was sitting with Rays mom, yukking it up. Flo sat there and took it, counting on her baby to deliver. But for a moment it looked like Ray might be knocked out of the game. After taking a Jared Jeffries elbow above his right eye he collapsed to the floor, clearly bleeding a lot. It was definitely a scary moment for C's fans. But, true to form, Ray would emerge from the locker room in the fourth quarter with a band-aid over that eye, ready to get back to work.

There was a noticeable difference in the Celtics play in the second half. Apparently Doc called them soft at halftime, so that must have really struck a nerve with Paul and KG especially. They both came out fired up. KG in the third quarter was almost unstoppable. He was getting himself open, getting himself in the best position to score, and he was finishing at the basket. Even though it seemed it was getting to the point where he actually couldn't miss, Doc took him out for an extended rest, which turned out to be a great call.

Paul Pierce again showed his ability to raise his game when his team needs it most. After struggling shooting the ball the past few games, he poured in 21 points, saving the bulk of his scoring for the final frame, when it counts the most. You could tell just by looking at him that he wasn't going to lose that game. He had that vintage Paul Pierce look, that we've seen so many times now throughout his illustrious career. We'll need to see it more before it's all said and done.

Are we allowed to say that Rondo's back now? He scored on many tough layups, the sort of layups that he hasn't been able to connect on in recent games. He finished with 13 points and 12 assists. Pretty vintage Rondo performance. But he was doing all the little things as well, demonstrated on that loose ball when instead of attempting to pull it down himself he merely tipped it to Delonte who was able to start the break. That was downright Larry Birdesque. Or so I've gathered from watching highlights.

This was a great win for the guys. I tweeted that this is the kind of game that builds chemistry and creates a bond. I sure hope it does because that's exactly what this team needs right now. Hopefully they come out strong Wednesday at home with Tony Allen back in town.