Welcome to the Garden ...

TD BANKNORTH GARDEN -- Welcome to the Garden, where the Celtics (9-2) will take on the Knicks (6-4) at 7:30 p.m.

The big story tonight is the absence of Kevin Garnett from the Celtics lineup. Garnett was suspended one game for a shove of the Bucks' Andrew Bogut during Saturday night's game in Milwaukee. Both Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers have said they disagree with the suspension, but that won't get Garnett back in the lineup.

Leon Powe is bolded as a "projected starter" on the game notes they handed out to the media here, but house money is on Brian Scalabrine to get the start in Garnett's absence. Colleague Frank Dell'Apa told me there was a buzz for more playing time for Scalabrine at today's shootaround. The Celtics went 8-2 without Garnett in the lineup last season, with Scalabrine getting most of the starts in his absence.

Either way, we'll know for sure who starts for Garnett when we get the word from Doc Rivers in the next hour or so, and we'll pass that information along.

On the other side, the Knicks come into tonight averaging 105.7 points per game this season, which leads the NBA and is up from an average of 96.9 points last year. New York is off to its best 10-game start since the 2000-01 season, when the team also went 6-4. The Knicks have not made the playoffs since 2004.

Paul Pierce (29.3 points in his last four games) is going to have to carry the bulk of the scoring load tonight with Garnett out. Pierce has come and gone from the parquet here for warmups. Tony Allen is on the court for the Celtics right now taking some free throws. Nate Robinson is working on the other end for the Knicks.

The locker rooms open shortly. We'll be back in a bit with more news and notes.