Kyrie Irving, Celtics Beat Knicks 103-101 After Kevin Knox Injures Ankle

The Boston Celtics outlasted the New York Knicks 103-101 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The Knicks had a chance to tie it with 1.9 seconds remaining in the game when Celtics forward Jayson Tatum fouled guard Trey Burke on a three-point attempt with Boston up by three, but Burke missed two of his three free-throw attempts.

Despite trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half, the Knicks pushed a Boston team that once again struggled from a shooting perspective.

The Celtics connected on just 40.2 percent of their attempts from the field, but they still managed to bounce back from Friday's loss to the Toronto Raptors.

Tatum led the way for Boston, as he finished with a game-high 24 points to go along with 14 rebounds.

The Celtics needed a big performance from the second-year man since Gordon Hayward did not play in an effort to rest his surgically repaired ankle and because guard Kyrie Irving had another shaky outing with 16 points and five assists on 5-of-16 shooting.

New York lost promising rookie forward Kevin Knox near the end of the first quarter after he sprained his left ankle while driving to the hoop:

Knox did not return to the game, but the Knicks announced that X-rays on his ankle came back negative.

New York was competitive after Knox left the game, as rookie guard Allonzo Trier and second-year guard Damyean Dotson combined for 25 points off the bench.

The Knicks did lead at one point in the third quarter, and they nearly completed a comeback after falling behind in the fourth, but Burke's foul-line miscue prevented them from forcing overtime.

Celtics Must Run Offense Through Tatum, Not Irving

Irving is a five-time All-Star with a history of being a quality NBA scorer, but through three games this season, it is clear that the Celtics must allow Tatum to run the show offensively.

The former Duke standout was excellent once again in all areas Saturday, as he was efficient from the field, made his free throws and attacked the boards.

Tatum has the look of a perennial All-Star in the making, and SB Nation's Kristian Winfield is already comparing him to an all-time great:

Perhaps the one thing holding Tatum back at this point is the fact that he doesn't shoot as much as he should.

Tatum defers to Irving at times and allows the veteran to attack off the dribble, which hasn't worked to Boston's advantage thus far.

Part of the reason for that may be the fact that Irving is coming off a knee injury that cost him Boston's entire playoff run last season.

Irving is a much better offensive player than he has shown to this point, but he may need some time to knock off the rust and get back to being his electric self.

Tatum has many similarities to Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant, and the Celtics should allow him to feature those skills more consistently with Irving scuffling.

He showed signs of Durant-esque play in the waning seconds on Saturday, as he made a contested jumper with Boston leading by just one to extend the lead to three.

Tatum is virtually unguardable because of his length and shooting ability, and those factors must make him Boston's go-to player.

Rozier Deserves More Prominent Role Amid Irving Struggles

While Irving has been something of an Achilles' heel for Boston through the first few games of the season, guard Terry Rozier has impressed off the bench.

Rozier was a star during last year's playoffs with Irving out, and he performed well Saturday with the minutes he was given, registering 10 points.

The former Louisville star looks more dynamic than Irving currently, and it would behoove head coach Brad Stevens to work toward a more even split between Irving and Rozier provided he doesn't want to take Kyrie out of the starting lineup.

Keith Smith of RealGM noticed Saturday that Rozier appears to be feeling good on the court currently:

Adam Figman of Slam Online added that Rozier is destined for stardom:

One possible option for Boston is to play Irving and Rozier on the court at the same time, but several factors could prevent that from being a winning combination.

Both players excel at attacking the rim and being aggressive with the basketball, and they aren't as effective off the ball.

Also, when the Celtics have a full, healthy lineup, they need to get the likes of Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Hayward and Al Horford plenty of work as well.

Stevens is in a difficult spot since cutting Irving's minutes is a tough sell, but until he shows that he is fully back from his knee issues, Rozier has done enough to earn more opportunities.

Knicks Lack Talent to Compete in East Without Porzingis, Knox

The Knicks were impressive against a far superior team Saturday, and the stats suggest they were barely outplayed.

The only area in which Boston was clearly the better team was when it came to free-throw shooting, as New York was just 17-of-27 (63 percent), while Boston was 28-of-33 (84.8 percent).

That isn't an uncommon issue for young teams, and it is one that could plague New York throughout the season.

The Knicks received promising performances from the likes of Trier, Dotson and Noah Vonleh off the bench against Boston.

They were also lifted by center Enes Kanter's 17 points and 15 rebounds, as well as guard Tim Hardaway Jr.'s team-high 24 points, which included 5-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc.

There are a lot of positives to take away from New York's performance, but with no timetable for All-Star big man Kristaps Porzingis' return from knee surgery and Knox nursing an ankle injury, the Knicks are at a talent disadvantage against most teams in the Eastern Conference.

If Knox is able to bounce back quickly and avoid missing much time, the Knicks' youth and energy could be tough for the opposition to handle.

Without him in the fold, though, the Knicks have the look of an overachieving team that will eventually struggle to play up to the level of teams with far better and deeper rosters.

What's Next?

The Celtics will have one day of rest before hosting the Orlando Magic in a game that will see them be heavily favored Monday.

New York will also have Sunday off before traveling to Milwaukee to take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on Monday.