(Photo courtesy of northjersey.com) “Jayson Tatum drives to the rim”
Shaan Baid
Connector Editor
Fresh off winning the 2024 NBA Championship, the defending champion Boston Celtics blew out the new-look New York Knicks 132-109 in their season opener on Tuesday night.
Some experts viewed the Knicks as potentially the biggest threat in the Eastern Conference after key offseason trades for Minnesota Timberwolves star center Karl-Anthony Towns and Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges. However, they stood no chance on opening night as Boston flexed their offensive firepower.
Boston looked as dominant as they did during their championship run. The team didn’t miss a beat as forward Jayson Tatum led the way scoring 37 points, 10 assists and four rebounds on 14/18 field goal shooting and 8/11 from three.
Boston’s innovative ball movement and three-point shooting set the tone. The difference of the game was Boston’s playmaking, as they recorded 33 assists to just 20 for New York. Also, Boston scored 19 points off 11 New York turnovers. They had just three turnovers throughout the game.
In the first quarter, Jayson Tatum got hot early in the game by scoring and creating for his teammates. Boston outscored New York by a whopping 43-24 margin.
In the second quarter, the Celtics and Knicks traded blows as the score was 31-31. Knicks guards Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride kept their team in the game with timely jump shots. However, Tatum and the Celtics offense kept their foot on the gas to maintain the lead.
In the third quarter, Boston extended their lead by seven points. The Celtics scored 39 points as they just couldn’t miss from three.
Since the game was practically over in the fourth quarter, Boston tried to break the NBA record for most three-point makes in a single game. However, their attempt hilariously fell short after center Al Horford tied the record by making Boston’s 29th three-point shot at the 8:54 mark. The Celtics would go on to miss 13 straight threes, ultimately failing to break the record. The Celtics converted on 29/61 of their three-point attempts, shooting 47.5%.
Nevertheless, it was still a statement win for the defending champions. Boston’s starting five scored in double figures.
Guards Derrick White and Jrue Holiday shot the ball exceptionally well. White finished with 24 points on 8/13 field goal shooting and 6/10 from three. Holiday had 18 points on 7/9 field goal shooting and 4/6 from three.
While forward Jaylen Brown only shot 7/18 from the field, the 2024 Finals MVP contributed to the Boston Three Party by 5/9 from three. Center Al Horford had 11 points on 3/5 shooting from three.
Off the bench, forward Sam Hauser scored 10 points on 4/10 field goal shooting.
Brunson and McBride were the leading scorers for the Knicks. Brunson finished with 22 points on 9/14 field goal shooting. McBride had 16 points on 7/13 field goal shooting.
Next up, the Celtics take on the Washington Wizards on Thursday at 7 p.m.
