It’s been a while since the New York Knicks were grabbing headlines for their positive performance on the court, but with a 8 game winning streak and the monstrous play of Amar’e Stoudemire – the Knickerbockers have gotten the attention of the whole league. They faced the sizzling hot Boston Celtics last night at the Madison Square Garden – which was one of the most anticipated games at the Garden in recent years and actually live up to the billing.

New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics ended up beating the Knicks 118-116 in a barn burner that went down to the final second. Paul Pierce hit the go ahead jumper with 0.4 seconds left on the clock and followed it up with a lengthy celebration, taking a lap around the court after D’Antoni called a timeout and re-sparking the rivalry between the Knicks and Celtics.

New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics

Amare Stoudemire had another MVP caliber game, hitting a season high 39 and continuing his 30+ scoring streak to 9. Unfortunately it didn’t come in a winning effort and that will end the streak which had seen him score all those points in winning efforts and put him in rare company. The former Suns player even hit a 3 pointer as the buzzer went off, but the referees deemed it to be after the clock expired.

The Boston Celtics winning streak now stands at 11 and with a 20-4 record they look in command of the Eastern Conference. They have done it with numerous injuries to the front line. Rajon Rondo picked sprained his ankle and Nate Robinson took his place for a large chunk of the second half. Regardless of which point guard was on the floor, Raymond Felton had a stellar game with 26 points and 14 assists. Gallinari also had one of his best games in the league.

The Big 3 ended with 78 points – and it ended up being too much down the stretch. The New York Knicks will face the Miami Heat on Friday – which should be another test of their resurgence into a contender in the Eastern Conference.