BOSTON — Josh Hart finished one assist short of a triple-double with 20 points in his return from a two-game absence to rest his sore knee, an issue he’s been dealing with throughout his career and which required extended time off around the All-Star break to calm down.

On Sunday afternoon, the Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks to secure their fifth consecutive win. Given that the Knicks were only three games behind the Celtics for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference standings, this was a major victory for Boston.

The New York Knicks are picking up the pieces after another big loss to the Boston Celtics, their third of the season in as many games. Though the Celtics are t