Celtics don't miss a beat

Big Three sit out, Knicks still fall

With 23 points, Rajon Rondo (right) was too much for David Lee and the Knicks to contain. (Ed Betz/Associated Press)

NEW YORK - The visiting locker room at Madison Square Garden could not be described as comfy, spacious, or accommodating - although it could probably fetch $500 a night down here - but it was where Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett chose to watch the second half of last night's Celtics-Knicks game.

And they saw the Celtics do the same thing to the Knicks that they did when all three were on the court playing instead of spectating.

In what should be Knicks coach Isiah Thomas's MSG swan song, the quasi-Celtics rode the hot hands of Rajon Rondo and Sam Cassell in the fourth quarter and took a 99-93 victory before a sellout crowd seeking free food and beverage, not to mention an actual NBA game. If they showed up to see the Big Three, well, they simply ate.

For the second time this season, Doc Rivers sat Garnett, Pierce, and Allen, and, for the second time this season, the others rang up a win anyway.

Rondo (11 of 15, 23 points) scored 7 points in an early fourth-quarter run that gave Boston the lead for good. He then turned things over to Cassell, who had 12 of his 22 (his Celtic high) in the fourth quarter as the Celtics completed a 4-0 season sweep of the hapless cabal that Thomas has assembled. Overall, the Celtics have taken the last six from the Knicks and the last six games in the World's Most Famous Arena dating back to March 2005.

The Celtics trailed at the end of three - scandal! - and even trailed by 10 points earlier in the night, the first time this season the Knicks have had a double-digit lead over Boston. (In two of the losses, the Knicks never led.)

But the ever-resourceful Rondo, who was 1 point shy of his career high, opened the scoring in the fourth with a baseline jumper to start a 6-0 run that gave the Celtics the lead for good. The other points in the run came on layups by Brian Scalabrine (off a nice Glen Davis feed) and Rondo.

In some instances, a coach might call a timeout in that situation. Not Isiah. He didn't call a single stop-the-bleeding timeout all night, even though the Celtics went on a 19-2 run in the third quarter. He spent a good portion of the 48 minutes seated, watching the game.

The teams traded hoops until it was 88-86 Boston, when Cassell (7 of 18) knocked down a 3-pointer. Following a Randolph Morris hoop, Davis made a free throw and Cassell connected again from international waters, making it 95-88 with 56.4 seconds left. Both Cassell threes came on feeds from Rondo, who also had 10 rebounds and 5 assists.

Asked why he didn't get a career high in points, Rondo said, "Sam was taking all the shots." Indeed. Ten of Cassell's 18 shots came in the fourth quarter. He played 31 minutes as the Celtics try to get him playoff-ready.

"It was very important to get Sam as many minutes as possible," Rivers said.

The final minute was played to a crescendo of "Fire Isiah" chants, a season staple that had been absent for most of the night. (That's what free food can do for you.) Then, shortly after the horn sounded, the P.A. announcer wished everyone a nice summer.

Dominic Chianese, the actor who plays Uncle Junior on "The Sopranos" got through "The Star-Spangled Banner" without any profanity. It was Fan Appreciation Night, but there was not a lot of appreciative noise in the building, save for the Knicks dancers, for some guy who juggled and played the electric piano during a timeout, and for a cameo by Masters champ Trevor Immelman.

Scattered boos were heard when it was announced that Pierce was inactive. He was nursing a bruised left wrist, but he could have played if needed. Assuming the Big Three play tomorrow, and Rivers said that that is the plan, Pierce will have missed two games this season, Garnett 11, and Allen nine. The latter two were both healthy but were told to take it easy.

James Posey made his second start of the season in place of Pierce while Tony Allen subbed for Ray Allen and Leon Powe, returning from a two-game hiatus, started for Garnett. The Celtics started strong, then slumped in the second quarter, allowing Nate Robinson (a game-high 26) to practically score at will.

That's what led to the 10-point Knicks lead (53-43 with 2:16 left in the half) although a late Boston run cut the deficit to 5 at the break.

Peter May can be reached at pmay@globe.com