Boston Celtics Team Report - March 8

(Basketball News) - The Boston Celtics will return to action on Tuesday when they head to New York to face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

On Sunday, Jiri Welsch scored a game-high 18 points and pulled down seven rebounds in leading Boston to an 80-77 win over Minnesota at the Target Center.

Paul Pierce added 13 points despite shooting just 4-of-21 from the field and collected 10 rebounds, as the Celtics won their fifth straight game. Chucky Atkins and Chris Mihm scored 12 and 11 points, respectively.

With the win Boston remained a half-game up on the Toronto Raptors for the seventh-place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Celtics are also just a game-back of the sixth-place Knicks.

Boston, which will return home for two games after Tuesday’s tilt at MSG, has lost six of eight and eight of its last 11 games on the road and is 14-18 away from home this season.

The Celtics have lost three times to the Knicks this season, but have won eight of the last 13 meetings. Boston, though, has won five of its last seven in the Big Apple.