Knicks End 6-Game Losing Streak, Top Celtics 117-109
BOSTON (AP) — Trey Burke scored 29 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. had 21 and the New York Knicks snapped a six-game losing streak with a 117-109 victory over the surprisingly inconsistent Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
Noah Vonleh had 16 points and Enes Kanter finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds for New York, which won for the fifth time in 19 games.
Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with 22 points and 13 assists, Marcus Morris had 21 points, and Al Horford and Gordon Hayward each added 19 points. It was a season-high third straight loss for Boston, which slipped to 9-9.
Boston cut its deficit to 110-106 on a 3-pointer by Hayward, but Burke hit a jumper with 50 seconds to play. Burke added a 3-pointer to make it 115-109 with 12 seconds left.
Mitchell Robinson's basket with just under five minutes to play pushed New York ahead 103-87 and sent a good number of fans to the exits, and some voiced their displeasure before leaving by booing.
Leading by 16 at the half, the Knicks had their lead cut to 10 four times in the third quarter, but Boston was unable to reduce it to single digits.
The Celtics, pegged as one of the Eastern Conference favorites, started hearing boos from the home crowd midway into the second quarter and the boos became louder when they fell behind by 20 points, 46-26.
New York built its lead to 57-31 on Kanter's reverse layup before heading to the locker room with a 65-49 edge at halftime.
TIP-INS
Knicks: Coach David Fizdale started Emmanuel Mudlay and Hardaway Jr. in the backcourt, saying: "They're starting to play with some good chemistry. I'm happy with the pace." . They shot 65 percent (15 of 23) in the second quarter.
Celtics: Horford started after he was listed as probable because of a sore left knee. He went to the locker room briefly in the second quarter. Boston missed its initial 10 3-point attempts and 14 of its first 15.
STAYING THE SAME
Fizdale decided to use the same starting lineup as Tuesday night, because his team "got off to a good start" despite a loss to Portland at Madison Square Garden.
New York got off to a quick start again Wednesday, opening a 25-14 lead late in the opening quarter.
GOTTA GO
Boston coach Brad Stevens was asked about the play of two of his players before the game and turned it into how his team needs to improve and play more consistently.
"It's not about what you do on one day right now," said. "It's about how can you piece things together and go and go and go and go. As a team, that's what we're all searching for."
UP NEXT
Knicks: Host the Pelicans on Friday. They lost in the only meeting between the teams this season, in New Orleans on Nov. 16.
Celtics: At the Hawks on Friday, the first of a three-game road trip.
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