Tempers Flare At End Of Celtics-Knicks Game 5

BOSTON (CBS) - Tempers flared at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night shortly after the Boston Celtics pulled off a 92-86 win over the New York Knicks in Game 5 of their playoff series.

Celtics guard Jordan Crawford was seen jawing at Knicks star Carmelo Anthony as the two teams left the floor, and reserves D.J. White and Terrence Williams needed to step in to help defuse the situation.

Other players and coaches were eventually needed to help calm things down on the court. In the end, it was just words being exchanged -- as it is most of the time in the NBA.

Still, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers wasn't too pleased at the events that followed his team's win.

"Let's play basketball. Let's play real physical basketball and let's walk off the floor," he said. "I don't know what happened. I'm glad [John] Starks wasn't there."

After the game, Anthony had little to say for the situation.

"I'm not thinking about no Jordan Crawford," he said. "Not at this point in time, I'll tell you that. I don't think he deserves for you to be typing right now."

The Celtics-Knicks rivalry has enjoyed a rejuvenation over the last couple seasons, but really ramped up this season.  In January, Kevin Garnett and Anthony got into a verbal spat -- allegedly involving a comment that Garnett made about Anthony's wife -- that spilled over to the Celtics bus area at Madison Square Garden.

Things picked up this series in Game 3 when Knicks guard J.R. Smith elbowed Jason Terry in the face and earned a suspension for Game 4. Smith added more fuel to the flames when he said if he wasn't suspended for Game 4, he and the Knicks wouldn't have had to worry about a Game 5 and would have been golfing rather than practicing. He also pretended not to know who Terry was when asked by reporters.

The Knicks wore black to Games 4 and 5 per request of Kenyon Martin, saying they were heading to the Celtics' funeral.

Meanwhile, the Celtics haven't had much to say.

"I have not paid attention to none of their shenanigans," Garnett said prior to Game 5.

Frustration is mounting for the Knicks as their 3-0 lead is now down to 3-2. They still just need one win to clinch the series, but are just two losses away from becoming the first team in NBA history to let a 3-0 series lead slip away.