Celtics beat Knicks in fiery contest between Atlantic rivals

Carmelo Anthony (right) of the New York Knicks and Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics get into an altercation on Monday in New York City [Bruce Bennett / Agence France-Press]

Garnett and Anthony trade barbs as Boston takes honors in MSG

Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnett jawed from baseline to midcourt, and Anthony still had more to say.

So the Knicks forward went toward the Celtics locker room after the game to keep shouting, taking his frustrations from the court right along with him and perhaps risking an NBA suspension.

Paul Pierce scored 23 points, and Boston beat New York 102-96 on Monday night in a heated first meeting of the season between the Atlantic Division rivals.

Anthony left without talking to reporters and the Knicks wouldn't comment on Anthony's postgame trip in the wrong direction, but Celtics coach Doc Rivers didn't deny it.

"I'm going to let you all figure that one out. I'm going to stay out of that," Rivers said. "If it was the playoffs I'd tell on him, but since it's not I'm going to just be quiet."

Rivers didn't need to. MSG Network reported the incident, in which security had to step in and send Anthony back in the right direction, as it went to its postgame show, and the league likely will investigate and could penalize the Knicks' leading scorer.

Garnett had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who even without the suspended Rajon Rondo won their third straight and finally are playing like the team that has ruled the division for the last half-decade.

The Knicks want that title now, but Anthony and his teammates were reminded how tough the Celtics can make it.

Anthony had 20 points but shot six of 26 while battling his temper, Garnett and foul trouble.

Garnett denied the postgame altercation.

"Listen, heat of the battle, man. Guys go back and forth. He's trying to get his team to go, I'm trying to get my team to go, both teams are colliding, not to mention that it's the Knicks and the Celtics," Garnett said. "Just what it is, man."

J.R. Smith led the Knicks with 24 points. Tyson Chandler had 13 points and 17 rebounds.

Rondo was suspended on Monday for making contact with a referee in a game against Atlanta on Saturday and failure to cooperate with an NBA investigation. Without the NBA's assist leader, the Celtics relied on the kind of defense that has been absent too often this season.

They allowed 78 points per game in their last two wins, then held the Knicks to 40 in the second half Monday.

Pierce, who was also in foul trouble in the tightly and sometimes inconsistently called game, put it away with a jumper with 45 seconds to go, blowing a kiss toward the crowd he loves to torment after putting the Celtics up by six.

Anthony had averaged 34.4 points in his past 10 games and had a pair of 40-point performances last week, but his jumper was off from the start on Monday as the Knicks had their two-game winning streak snapped.

Boston led by four when Anthony and Garnett became extra physical with each other on a Boston possession that ended with a turnover with 9:03 remaining. Anthony followed him all the way to midcourt as they jawed at each other following the play, leading to technical fouls on both.

The trash talk didn't just stay on the court - or between players. Pierce tried to throw the ball in from the sideline shortly after, only to have Spike Lee standing and yelling in his ear the whole time.

"I've been tuning Spike Lee out for years," Pierce said. "That's just common noise now."

The Celtics have won the past five Atlantic Division titles, starting with their NBA championship season of 2007-08. But while Rivers often says he never talks to the players about winning the division, Knicks coach Mike Woodson has made it a priority since becoming interim coach last March.