The Boston Celtics have extended their advantage in the Atlantic Division by handing the New York Knicks their third-worst home loss ever with a 41-point win at Madison Square Garden.

The Celtics scored 12 unanswered points to start the game before the first quarter finished with a lopsided scoreline of 34-11 in the visitors' favour.

The second quarter was closer but still the Celtics went in at half time with a 27-point advantage, with Jordan Crawford and Jeff Green leading the scorers.

As in the first quarter, the Celtics scored 34 in the third as they stretched their lead to 36.

The fourth was a lower-scoring contest as the game finished 114-73, with Crawford, who also contributed seven assists and three rebounds, finishing on 23 points to lead all scorers.

New York's top scorer was Carmelo Anthony, who managed 19 points on 5-15 shooting.

The Celtics improve to 10-12, while New York remain bottom of the Atlantic Division on 5-14.