BOSTON \u2014 New York\u2019s locker room door opened and music was blaring in the background.
It\u2019s not a scene that\u2019s happened after too many Knicks\u2019 games lately.
Derrick Rose matched his season high with 30 points, and the slumping Knicks beat the Boston Celtics 117-106 on Wednesday night.
New York played without injured starters Kristaps Porzingis and Joakim Noah, but Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Willy Hernangomez each scored 17 points to help make up for their absence.
\u201cIt was a big win for us to come in here and kind of put everything to the side in spite of what\u2019s been surrounding the team, and really focus in on playing basketball and winning,\u201d said forward Carmelo Anthony, who reiterated his desire to stay in New York on Tuesday.
It was just their third win in 14 games in a season that\u2019s been sliding away quickly since the calendar turned to 2017.
\u201cThese guys are a determined bunch,\u201d New York Coach Jeff Hornacek said. \u201cThey\u2019ve had some bad breaks, we\u2019ve had some bad games, but they stay in there together.\u201d
Isaiah Thomas led Boston with 39 points, his 13th time this season with 30 or more points. Jae Crowder added 21 for the Celtics, who lost for only the fourth time in 17 games.
\u201cWe didn\u2019t have a look most of the night that you felt good about,\u201d Boston Coach Brad Stevens said.
Al Horford, Boston\u2019s big free-agent acquisition during the summer, had five points on 2-of-14 shooting. He was 1 for 8 on 3-point attempts.
\u201cThat was definitely tough for me because they were good looks,\u201d he said. \u201cI even felt good on a few of them. They just didn\u2019t go in.\u201d
Boston closed to 97-96 on Jaylen Brown\u2019s two free throws with just under eight minutes to play, but Justin Holiday and Courtney Lee nailed 3-pointers 29 seconds apart, pushing New York\u2019s lead back to seven.
Rose then capped an 8-0 spree by putting in his own miss after Thomas missed a jumper \u2013 his seventh straight shot that was off.
\u201cJust playing my game,\u201d said Rose, who was 13 for 24 from the floor. \u201cJust waiting for coach to call my number, just like tonight \u2013 he called my number.\u201d
Porzingis was out with a sore left Achilles and Noah was sidelined by a sore left ankle. Porzingis missed his fourth straight game, but did shoot before the game. Noah played in their last game. Both big men are expected to undergo MRIs on Thursday.
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