NBA suspends Garnett one game
WALTHAM - Celtics forward Kevin Garnett will miss tonight's game at TD Banknorth Garden against the New York Knicks, as the NBA announced a one-game suspension for his involvement in an altercation with the Bucks' Andrew Bogut Saturday night in Milwaukee.
Garnett "has been suspended one game without pay for striking [Bogut] in the face," the NBA stated in a release.
Garnett contested Bogut's shot with 3:58 remaining in the game, and a double technical was issued, Bogut was ejected with his second technical. Garnett fouled out with 1:48 left in overtime as the Celtics took a 102-97 victory.
"We disagree with the ruling, we believe it is the wrong ruling," Celtics president Danny Ainge said.
Bogut's foul was upgraded to a flagrant foul penalty one by the NBA.
"Milwaukee is over," Garnett said after practice yesterday. "I'm talking about the Knicks. That's in the past. That's been settled."
Toughing it out
Coach Doc Rivers said he was impressed with the team's resiliency against the Bucks, the team concluding an eight-game, 12-day stretch with a 7-1 record (9-2 overall)."We have a great record and I'm very satisfied with the record in this eight-game stretch," Rivers said. "I told them I wanted to go 8-0 and I thought it was a possible goal, but overall we have to be better as far as playing.
"I like the way we're finishing games, except the Denver game [a 94-85 loss], but we can't be satisfied with not being our best.
"It was a brutal stretch. In 24 years I've been in the game, I don't think I've ever seen eight games in that little time, that early in the season."
Test time
The Knicks, who have averaged 120.7 points in their last three games, will provide a test for the Boston defense. The Celtics have been able to control the tempo in most games, surrendering more than 100 points only once. "We're not going to morph into their style," Rivers said of the Knicks.Marc J. Spears of the Globe staff contributed to this report. 