Knicks hold off Celtics after Anthony sprains ankle

Jae Crowder got the Celts all the way back ahead by hitting a trey and making 2-of-3 free throws after being fouled trying another on the next possession.

The New York Knicks’ gritty 120-114 victory over the Boston Celtics was the home team’s most important win of the season. Derrick Williams (15 points, 10 boards) led the team in rebounding and delivered two monster dunks in the final minutes to help seal the victory.

Carmelo Anthony will miss the Knicks’ game against Brooklyn because of a sprained right ankle.

Finally, with the Celtics scratching to come back, they played stellar defense but Amir Johnson bumped Grant dribbling with four seconds left on the shot clock.

It’s definitely true that Anthony’s scoring has been down this year; his 21.7 PPG is the lowest it’s been since his second year in the league.

“We haven’t dramatized a January game”, the Knicks coach said. “We didn’t come through”. Less than three minutes later, Porzingis picked up his fourth foul and had to check out of the game. “It was set up for us to win, and we can’t blame nobody but ourselves”. “We can’t blame nobody but ourselves”. When the Celtics did try to double, he simply dribbled through and shot anyway.

Without Anthony and with Kristaps Porzingins dealing with foul trouble, Arron Afflalo’s post game morphed into the Knicks’ No. 1 option.

“On nights like this when we don’t have (Anthony), I can’t have a shooting night like this”, Porzingis said. “He made big plays”.

Marcus Banks, 13th overall, 2003 – A Draft Night acquisition from Memphis, Banks averaged 20.3 points and 5.5. steals in his senior season at UNLV, but struggled in both areas during two seasons in Boston. Jerian Grant had 9 points and 6 assists in the fourth quarter, finishing with a career-high 16 points.

Jared Sullinger kept the Celtics alive with 12 points in the fourth, but NY had an answer for every play.

The frustration level is high.

Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks.

The Celtics return home to TD Garden for a nationally televised game against the Indiana Pacers, who are fresh of a Tuesday night win against the Phoenix Suns.

Tuesday night brought another spotty effort from the Celtics, who shook their heads after the game when remembering all the scouting report mistakes.

“I feel like right now everybody’s not on the same page”, Crowder said. He rolled it in the second quarter while attempting to plant as he ran upcourt and left for the locker room immediately. And with that in mind, he expects Porzingis to be a great player during his National Basketball Association tenure which may line him up to possibly succeed Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks.

Boston’s first quarter defense left a lot to be desired.

“Confidence, you know? It was all confidence”, he told MSG’s Rebecca Haarlow after the game.

“We’ve got to get back to doing the little things and paying attention to detail and just, when you’re out there, giving it your all”.