Beasley scores 32, carries Knicks past Celtics, 102-93

NEW YORK (AP) – Michael Beasley scored 28 of his season-high 32 points in the second half, helping the New York Knicks shake off a dismal return by Kristaps Porzingis to beat the Boston Celtics 102-93 on Thursday night.

Beasley went back to the bench with Porzingis back from a knee injury, but he was on the floor in the fourth quarter while Porzingis watched from the sideline as the former No. 2 overall pick punished the Celtics inside and out to help the Knicks pull away.

Porzingis was 0 for 11 from the field and finished with one point after missing two games with a sore left knee. The “MVP! MVP!” chants he has heard this season instead went to Beasley, who also had 12 rebounds.

He surpassed the 30 points he scored last Saturday against Carmelo Anthony and Oklahoma City with a jumper with 1:06 remaining that stopped a little run by Boston and gave New York an eight-point lead. The Knicks held on for their fifth victory in six games.

Kyrie Irving scored 32 points for the Celtics, who lost for the second night. They played without starter Jaylen Brown because of left Achilles tendon soreness.

Jayson Tatum added 17 points.

The Knicks were blown out in Boston to cap their 0-3 start but have since turned things around behind a home-heavy schedule. They have 15 of their 17 victories at Madison Square Garden, where a sellout crowd of 19,812 grew louder with every Beasley basket against the Eastern Conference leaders.

New York jumped to a 13-2 lead and led by 14 in the first quarter, but it appeared the Celtics were starting to take control by the third. Irving made three 3-pointers and one by Tatum gave Boston a nine-point lead midway through the period before Beasley brought the Knicks back.

He made three consecutive Knicks baskets late in the period to keep it close and it was 68-all going to the fourth. It was still tied before Beasley outscored the Celtics 11-4 to give New York an 86-79 lead, and Boston never got closer than six again.

TIP-INS

Celtics: Brown had appeared in 32 of Boston’s 34 games, all starts. Coach Brad Stevens said Brown told the team recently he had been feeling soreness for a little bit and the decision to rest him was the team “told been bothering him for a little bit couple days ago, just getting out ahead of it. … G Shane Larkin was out with a sore left knee. Stevens said Larkin felt pain during Wednesday’s game and felt worse Thursday so they would send him for testing Friday after they return to Boston.

Knicks: Enes Kanter, who Stevens said before the game always hurts the Celtics, had 14 points and 10 rebounds. … Coach Jeff Hornacek said Tim Hardaway Jr., out with a lower left leg stress injury, was able to do more shooting and light jumping, but still no running.

HAYWARD’S HEALTH

Gordon Hayward, out since breaking his left ankle in the season opener, wrote a blog post titled “Improving Every Day” to provide an update on his recovery and thoughts about the team. Hayward recently had his walking boot removed and is now wearing a brace while he does his rehab.

“The mental side of it is 100% the most difficult ,” he wrote.

UP NEXT

Celtics: Host Chicago on Saturday.

Knicks: At Detroit on Friday.

New York Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis (6) competes for the ball with Boston Celtics’ Marcus Smart, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

New York Knicks’ Frank Ntilikina, bottom center, competes for the ball with Boston Celtics’ Terry Rozier, left, and Jayson Tatum, top, during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

New York Knicks’ Kyle O’Quinn, center, competes for the ball with Boston Celtics’ Daniel Theis, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)