NEW YORK – Honey, they shrunk the Knicks!
The Boston Celtics took down New York Friday night to record their eighth win in nine games, and they did so by executing on their top offensive priority: attacking the basket. They lived in the painted area at an unusually high level for their team, all the while shrinking New York’s defense to create quality looks from short distances.
The Celtics scored 54 points in the paint Friday night, which marked their fifth-highest total of the season. More than half of their shots – 51 out of 100 – were released from inside the paint, and Boston shot 52.