Allen's three stuns Knicks in Game 1

BOSTON -- Ten years after their last playoff victory, the Knicks are still searching. They also couldn't seem to find Amar'e Stoudemire down the stretch -- and, perhaps more importantly, Ray Allen when it mattered most.

The veteran sharpshooter got free on a screen and drilled a game-winning three-pointer with 11.6 seconds left to give the Celtics an 87-85 victory over the Knicks Sunday night in Game 1 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series.

"It's going to be a dogfight and that's all it's going to be," Mike D'Antoni said of the series. "We're going to have to make big plays down the stretch. This is how it's going to be."

Carmelo Anthony, one of the game's most clutch shooters, had a chance to win it for the Knicks on their final possession, but his three-pointer missed and Kevin Garnett grabbed the rebound to a loud roar from the TD Garden crowd.

"We got away with one, because from my vantage point, when it left Carmelo's hands, I was thinking, 'Wow,' " Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "But we got away with it."

Anthony, who finished with 15 points, shot 1-for-11 in the second half against a tough Celtics defense that he wasn't about to give too much credit afterward.

"I missed some shots I normally make," he said. "I'm not too concerned about my individual performance. As a team, I think we did a hell of a job just competing out there. We did some things great, for the most part . . . I'm excited about this series."

Allen led the Celtics with 24 points, shooting 9-for-15. Garnett had 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Stoudemire led the Knicks with 28 points and 11 rebounds. His powerful dunk over Garnett and Jermaine O'Neal gave the Knicks an 82-78 lead with 2:47 to go. But Stoudemire got only one more touch the rest of the game as the ball consistently wound up in Anthony's hands.

"I think we were doing everything in our power to get Amar'e the ball," Anthony said. "He had it going. Tonight was his night, he was producing."

Anthony, however, struggled down the stretch. He had the ball stripped by Paul Pierce with 1:31 left, missed a three-pointer with 55.9 seconds left and then was charged with a debatable offensive foul with 21 seconds left. All told, he was 0-for-3 with two turnovers in the final 91 seconds of the game.

D'Antoni was annoyed about the offensive foul called on Anthony and also griped about a call that wasn't made.

D'Antoni was furious about Garnett's sticking out his leg to clip Toney Douglas on the screen that freed up Allen for that game-winner. Replays show Garnett's leg caught Douglas, who tripped, which allowed Allen to get open. "Those things happen," D'Antoni said of the officiating. "Not happy about it, but they happen."

Anthony, who opened the game with two quick fouls in the first 92 seconds, added, "What I thought and what they called are two different things. It is what it is. They called it. It's over with."

Of a bigger concern may be the condition of Chauncey Billups, who also struggled (3-for-11 shooting) before he suffered a strained left knee with 1:12 left. If he can't play in Tuesday night's Game 2 here, that could make this a much bigger loss.

"I'm in a lot of pain right now," Billups said, "but that's to be expected."

The Knicks -- who led by 12 early in the third quarter -- once again have to figure out how to execute down the stretch against the stingy Celtics defense, which held the Knicks to 34 points in the second half and one field goal in the final 2:47.

Still, Stoudemire played like the dominant force he was in the first half of the season, when he was arguably the best player in the NBA.

Stoudemire bulled right through Garnett and dunked on Garnett and O'Neal to give the Knicks an 82-78 lead. But Boston tied it at 82 on shots by Pierce and O'Neal, which followed a turnover and a missed three by Anthony.

Douglas buried a three-pointer with 37.8 seconds left to give the Knicks an 85-82 lead, but the Celtics caught the Knicks napping with an alley-oop to Garnett to make it a one-point game with 37.3 seconds left. Anthony was called for an offensive foul with 21 seconds left, turning the ball over to the Celtics, who countered with Allen's game-winner from the left side.

On that play, Rajon Rondo lined up to inbound the ball but called timeout. The next time, Allen inbounded from just in front of the midcourt line on the right side. He threw the ball to Pierce, then circled to the other side of the court, caught Pierce's pass and fired up the winner.