INQUIRER Sports

NEW YORK -- The reigning National Basketball Association champion Boston Celtics dropped a fourth road game in five tries Sunday as they fell 100-88 to the New York Knicks.

The Celtics, who own the best record in the NBA this season, couldn't get past a Knicks team that had lost seven of their previous eight games.

Wilson Chandler and Al Harrington led the Knicks, Chandler scoring 31 points and Harrington adding 30 off the bench.

After New York fell two points behind in the third quarter, Chandler scored eight straight points - including a 3-pointer and three free throws - as part of a 15-2 scoring run that put New York on top, 73-62.

Harrington connected from 3-point range to punctuate the surge.

Paul Pierce's 3-pointer cut the deficit to 91-86. Then New York's Chris Duhon found David Lee cutting to the basket for a dunk and the Knicks rolled from there.

Lee finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks.

Pierce led the Celtics with 31 points, while Kevin Garnett was held to a season-low six points.

Boston dropped three of four games on a Western Conference road trip over the Christmas and New Year's holidays, snapping a franchise-best 19-game winning streak in the process.