NBA Playoffs 2013: New York Knicks Blast Boston Celtics 90-76, Capture 3-0 Series Advantage [Highlights]
The New York Knicks seized a commanding 3-0 series advantage after topping the Boston Celtics 90-76 in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round showdown at TD Garden on Friday.
After dropping at least 30 points in the first game, Carmelo Anthony still fueled their offense with 26 points on 12-for-25 shooting while J.R Smith and Raymon Felton chipped in 15 apiece for the Knicks. Pablo Priogini recorded nine points all in the first half.
The Knicks picked up where they left off, knocking down jumpers with ease and suffocating the Celtics on the defensive end.
The Celtics, who have struggled offensively in the series, shot just 40 percent from the field and 31 percent from the three-point line.
Jeff Green once again led all Celtics scorers with 21 points along with 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Paul Pierce heat up in the second half after a slow start to finish with 17 points while Kevin Garnett delivered 12 points and 17 boards in a losing effort.
The Knicks used another fast start to build a huge 47-31 halftime lead before fending off several rallied from the Celtics in the second half.
Turnovers (17) and poor shot selection killed the Celtics' chance of winning while the Knicks distributed the ball well on the floor.
The Knicks shot 50 percent from the field and knocked down 11 of their 27 three-point attempts. They also got key contributions from their bench like Steve Novak (8 points on 3-for-4 shooting), Kenyon Martin (5 points 2-for-4 shooting), and Jason Kidd (6 rebounds and 6 assists).
With a 3-0 lead, the Knicks look to wrap up the series in Sunday's Game 4 at TD Garden. Two years ago, the Celtics swept the Knicks in four games when Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce still playing together.
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