Celtics make light of absent Garnett to beat Knicks

BOSTON (Reuters) - The Boston Celtics, playing without Kevin Garnett for the first time this season, beat the New York Knicks 110-101 on Tuesday.

The Celtics were led by 22 points from Paul Pierce and shot 53 percent to hold off the Knicks without the suspended Garnett.

"It was kind of a different atmosphere in the locker room, a little bit quieter than usual," Pierce told reporters. "Thank goodness we were able to take up the slack for one game and get the win."

Boston led by 15 points in the fourth quarter but allowed the Knicks to get to within four before Brian Scalabrine, starting in place of Garnett, hit a three-pointer with 1:14 left to clinch victory.

"He (Scalabrine) did a good job and we all did filling in for a guy you can't really replace," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "It's good to have that game out of the way."

The Celtics improved to 10-2 with the victory, the best record in the NBA.

"Good teams always find ways to win and we did, even without Kevin," Rivers said.

Kendrick Perkins had 16 points and eight rebounds and Rajon Rondo added 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Celtics.

Wilson Chandler led the Knicks with 23 points and Zach Randolph contributed 18 points and eight rebounds as New York (6-5) lost to the Celtics for the seventh straight time.

(Writing by Roger Lajoie in Toronto; Editing by Ed Osmond)