NBA News: At an NBA-best 11-2, the Boston Celtics are off to one of the best
starts in franchise history. They opened the season 8-0 — the fourth best
start for this storied organization — and have yet to lose at TD Banknorth
Garden, where they are 7-0. The Celtics, not only will look to remain perfect at
home tonight when they host the New Knicks on national TV (8 p.m. ET, TNT),
they’ll go for a knockout punch.
Boston has outscored its opponents at home by an average of 18.3 points, the
highest point-differential in the league. The Utah Jazz ranks second in that
category (16.7), followed by the San Antonio Spurs (14.1), the Denver Nuggets
(13.5), and the Detroit Pistons (11.2).
At home, the Celtics are out-rebounding teams by an average of 6.4; dishing out
10.6 more assists; recording 10.6 steals per game compared to 7.9 for the
opposition; and shooting .525 from the field, while holding teams to under 40
percent (.398).
Perhaps the most significant reason for the Celtics’ dominance at home
has been how seamlessly Kevin Garnett has acclimated to his new surroundings.
His averages at home include 22.1 points, 13.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists, and
he’s shooting a blistering .604 from the field and .871 from the free
throw line. His road averages are 19.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists,
and his percentages from the field and charity stripe are .511 and .806,
respectively.