NBA: Celtics keep play off dream alive beating Knicks in overtime thriller

The Boston Celtics kept their play off dreams alive last night in an amazing overtime thriller against New York Knicks, winning 97-90.

Reserve Jason Terry scored nine of his 18 points in the final 91 seconds of overtime as host Boston averted a four-game sweep despite blowing a 20-point second-half lead.

Paul Pierce scored 29 points and Jeff Green added 26 as the Celtics fought off a stirring comeback to force Game Five of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series on Wednesday at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Kevin Garnett added 13 points and 17 rebounds for Boston.

Carmelo Anthony scored 36 points and Raymond Felton had 27 for the Knicks, who led only once – at 84-82 with 1:18 to play in regulation – and trailed 59-39 with 9:25 left in the third quarter.

Terry put the Celtics ahead to stay by burying a three-pointer with 1:31 left in the extra session. After Anthony sliced the deficit to one, Terry hit a short jumper and buried two foul shots for a 95-90 edge with 20.4 seconds left.

Pierce scored eight points in a 73-second span late in the second quarter to help send the Celtics into the break with a seemingly commanding 54-35 lead. A three-pointer by Green pushed it to 20 early in the third quarter before Felton scored 16 points in a 26-9 burst to pull New York within 68-65 entering the final 12 minutes.

The Knicks played without Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith, who was suspended one game by the NBA for elbowing Terry in the face in the fourth quarter of Game Three.