Kyrie Irving, Celtics Beat Knicks Amid Anthony Davis Trade Rumors, Drama

Kyrie Irving had 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as the Boston Celtics beat the New York Knicks 113-99 on Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Damyean Dotson scored 22 points for the 10-41 Knicks, who have lost 12 straight games. Rookie forward Kevin Knox added 21.

The 33-19 C's have won eight of nine.

This game was the Knicks' first following a seven-player trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis, Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee to the Mavs for Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, DeAndre Jordan and two first-round picks. Smith, Matthews and Jordan were not active Friday.

Kyrie, KD Wouldn't Guarantee Knicks Eastern Conference Crown 

Per Bobby Marks of ESPN, the Knicks could have $74.6 million in cap space this offseason after pulling off a seven-player deal with the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. New Mavs forward Kristaps Porzingis was the centerpiece of the trade, but the Knicks also dealt Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee, who combined for nearly $31 million on the 2019-20 books.

Marks noted the Knicks can go after two max free agents in a 2019 class featuring Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson and others. 

As mentioned by Zach Braziller of the New York Post, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, among others, the Knicks could look to land both Durant and Irving.

It's not exactly a hot take to say New York would become a playoff team if it added KD and Irving to its roster. The pair have made a combined 16 All-Star Games, and Durant is a four-time scoring champion. KD would immediately become the best scorer in Knicks history, while Irving would be the best floor general not named Walt Frazier.

Irving already seems to have some fans in New York:

MSG Chants "We Want Kyrie"

In a top-heavy Eastern Conference, the Knicks should easily make the postseason. But they wouldn't be destined for an NBA Finals berth.

The Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks look like they're here to stay, and the same goes for the Philadelphia 76ers and their All-Star duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. The Indiana Pacers developed into a fantastic defensive team and should be back in the mix if Victor Oladipo returns healthy next season, and the Brooklyn Nets are clearly on the rise.

A few of the East's contenders could fall in the rankings, though. The C's covet Anthony Davis, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, but it's possible they won't land him. The Raptors could lose Kawhi Leonard to the Los Angeles Clippers, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com.

The top of the Eastern Conference will still be fierce, however, and the New York roster is in development. New Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr. is an explosive player with a lot of potential, and the team has some young and intriguing talent (e.g., Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier) to build around. The Knicks will also have a lottery pick that will almost certainly be in the top seven at worst.

They have lost 12 games in a row, though, so it's clear they need to make some changes. Adding Durant and Irving is a hypothetical great start, but the roster still needs work for New York to be a true contender.

Celtics Need Al Horford Playing at High Level to Make Finals

Horford averaged 17.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in his last seven games entering Friday. The Celtics went 6-1, with their lone loss a four-point defeat to the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

He did more of the same against the Knicks, recording 14 points, nine rebounds and four assists in just 27 minutes. 

The ex-Florida Gator is on a tear, to the point where the C's are starting to look like the Eastern Conference favorites they were expected to resemble in October.

Horford has been doing work at both ends. In Monday's game against the Brooklyn Nets, he had six blocks at halftime. On Friday, Horford had 10 third-quarter points, which helped the Celtics prevent New York from making a sizable dent into their nine-point halftime advantage.

Sometimes, it's seems as if the Celtics go as Horford goes. The C's went 5-0 in the 2018 playoffs when Horford scored 20 or more points. They were also 8-3 when he took 10 or more shots.

It's more of the same this season: The Celtics are 8-2 when Horford scores 16 or more points. That success extends to his work on the boards: When he gets eight or more, the team is 11-5.

Also, Horford has done quite well against a few potential Eastern Conference playoff opponents. In the first round last postseason, Horford averaged 18.1 points on 58.8 percent shooting and 8.7 rebounds in seven games against the Bucks. He stayed efficient and productive in the semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers, with 15.4 points on 56.4 percent shooting and 8.6 rebounds in five contests.

The Celtics are five games behind the Bucks for first place in the East, but that lead isn't insurmountable. They're only 3.5 games back of the second-place Toronto Raptors and a game behind the third-place 76ers. If Horford keeps this hot streak going through the second half of the season, the C's can make up some ground, get a better seed and make an NBA Finals run.

What's Next?

Both teams are home Sunday. Boston will host the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Knicks will welcome the Memphis Grizzlies.