BOSTON — With the season slipping away, Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek wanted to know before facing the Celtics if his players had given up.
“The one thing I asked them all before the game: ‘Do you guys still believe that we can get back and make the playoffs?’ ’’ Hornacek said. “They said, ‘Absolutely, we do.’ It was good to hear that.’’
They showed it, too. For one shocking night in Beantown, the Knicks looked like a powerhouse.
Undermanned and in turmoil, the Knicks rose up for arguably their season’s biggest victory as Derrick Rose led the way with a season-high-tying 30 points and the bench was sensational in a 117-106 stunner over the Celtics at TD Garden on Wednesday.
Coincidence or not, starting center Joakim Noah was out with a sprained ankle, and the Knicks moved to 5-0 when he doesn’t play.
The Knicks arrived in Boston amid a 2-11 losing skid and the cloud of a Carmelo Anthony-Phil Jackson feud. But they took it out on the Celtics (26-16), outrebounding them by a whopping 57-33.
“They punked us,’’ Boston star Isaiah Thomas said.
“It was a big win for us to come in here and put everything to the side despite what’s been surrounding the team,’’ Anthony said. “We focused in on playing basketball and winning and mostly importantly winning on the road and the way we did it. We came together as a group and everyone played a big part of this victory. We left all the stuff outside the locker room.’’
Even with a quiet evening by Anthony (13 points, 5-of-14 shooting) and Kristaps Porzingis (Achilles) missing his fourth straight game, they survived because rookie Spanish center Willy Hernangomez came off the bench and rocked Boston for 17 points and 11 rebounds in 19 minutes, reserve guard Justin Holiday added 13 points and new starter Mindaugas Kuzminskas pumped in 17.
The Knicks even got 20 gritty minutes from almost-never-used rookie center Marshall Plumlee, who had five points, seven rebounds and was a plus-11.
Plumlee was scheduled to practice with the D-League Knicks on Wednesday before being summoned to Boston and taking a morning Amtrak when Noah’s ankle swelled up.
“They keep it interesting for me,’’ Plumlee said.
“The bench was great,’’ Hornacek said of a unit that compiled 45 points. In an odd statistical quirk, every member of the bench was a plus while the five starters were each minus.
But this was Rose’s night to help carry the club with Anthony not very aggressive.
“Teammates were giving me the ball and wanted me to take the shots and told me to be aggressive and they called by number,” said Rose, who made 13 of 24 shots. “We didn’t fuss while we were on the floor. We’ve been talking about playing this way the last 10 to 15 games. There’s been ups and downs, mostly downs. Hopefully a win like this can spark something.”
The Knicks (19-24) entered the night having lost both previous games to the Celtics this season, but Hornacek said before the game he felt just one victory could turn the entire thing around.
They play host to Washington on Thursday.
“The second half, everyone played their part defensively, locked in, were scrambling, making multiple efforts on the defensive end,’’ Anthony said. “It could jump-start us with some confidence and momentum.’’
Hornacek started Ron Baker again at shooting guard, but he wasn’t a big factor and was scoreless in 11 minutes. Instead, the demoted Courtney Lee hit a big fourth-quarter shot with 7:10 left to put the Knicks ahead 103-96, setting off chest bumps with his mates. Rose then scored off an offensive rebound and Anthony drained a corner 3 to jack the lead to 110-100 with 5:12 to go and it was over.
The Knicks couldn’t prevent Thomas from scorching them for 39 points, but held everyone else down.
“These guys are a determined bunch,’’ Hornacek said of his team.
Noah’s absence opened the door for good minutes for Hernangomez, who dominated.
“I think the second unit, everyone did a great job,’’ Hernangomez said. “I think they don’t know me yet. I tried to play with energy, be in the low post, be aggressive, rebound, run the floor, set good screens.’’
Hornacek said he hopes this victory can turn the season around.
“We hope this is it,’’ he said.