By Gabriela Resto-Montero and Jim Scott
DNAinfo Staff
MANHATTAN — Ray Allen's 3-pointer put Boston up for good with 12 seconds left as the Celtics escaped with an 87-85 win over the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their playoff opener on Sunday.
New York had a chance to win the game, but Carmelo Anthony's long 3-point attempt was off the mark as time expired. Anthony struggled in his first playoff game for the Knicks, scoring just 15 points on 5-for-18 shooting.
"Anytime you lose with a few seconds left, it's never a good feeling," Amar'e Stoudemire, who scored a game-high 28 points for New York, told the New York Times.
"But we did play extremely hard. We did a great job defensively for most of the game. We just didn't get the win."
The Knicks were leading 85-84 with 21 seconds remaining before Anthony was called for a controversial offensive foul while trying to post up Boston's Paul Pierce.
"What I thought and what they called were two different things," Anthony told the Associated Press.
New York lead by 12 points at halftime, but their offense struggled and they were held to 15 points in the third quarter.
Allen hit three second-half three pointers and led the Celtics with 24 points.
The Knicks were dealt a huge blow in the closing minute of the game when point guard Chauncey Billups fell awkwardly on a lay up attempt and injured his left knee. Billups status for Game 2 on Tuesday is unknown.
The Celtics played without center Shaquille O'Neal, who is out with a calf injury. O'Neal is not expected to play in Game 2, the AP reported.
