Inside The Celtics

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Knicks: Porzingis Leads Late Rally to Propel Boston

Kristaps Porzingis' 12 fourth-quarter points push Celtics past Knicks in their regular-season opener.

Bobby Krivitsky

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
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Kristaps Porzingis delivered one of the most impressive debuts by a Boston Celtic. Playing at Madison Square Garden, his former NBA home, the seven-foot-three center finished with 30 points, the most ever in someone's first tilt with the franchise he now plays for, and drilled 5/9 threes.

That included being Boston's best offensive player in crunch time, working the pick-and-roll with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, then flaring out and burying threes. He also went 6/6 at the foul line, earning half his 12 fourth-quarter points at the stripe.

The former All-Star also played well in drop coverage, protecting the rim and blocking four shots, leading all participants.

The Celtics also got a game-high 34 points from Tatum, whose 11 rebounds tied Julius Randle for the most in the matchup. The two-time All-NBA First Team selection also dished out four assists, swiped two steals, and swatted a shot.

However, as detailed below, the visitors' offense didn't have a great showing. They relied heavily on isolations, lacking on and off-ball activity. And too often, there wasn't even an attempt to attack downhill. It led to shooting 12/39 (30.8 percent) from beyond the arc.

But to Boston's credit, the Celtics stayed locked in defensively for most of the night. That's how they kept the contest close while struggling to find a rhythm offensively. That also helped fuel a late 10-2 run that propelled them to victory.

Now for a deep dive into what stood out in Boston's 108-104 win in its regular-season opener.

1. The Celtics started the game with Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Kristaps Porzingis on the floor, with Al Horford taking on the sixth-man role. That will usually be how Boston approaches the beginning of its matchups.

2. Joe Mazzulla brought Horford off the bench at about the seven-minute mark in the opening frame. Getting him in early reflects that while the former Florida Gator's started all but 12 of the 1180 NBA games he's played in, he often won't have to wait long to come off the pine.

It's also noteworthy that Porzingis stayed in as the visitors went double-big for nearly the rest of the opening period.

3. The suffocating nature of the Celtics' defense stood out the most in the first frame. They have the talent to be the best in the league at that end and showcased it in the first 12 minutes.

Boston held New York under 20 points (18), and the hosts shot 26.9 percent from the field. From Holiday swatting two shots, including inducing a shot-clock violation after rejecting an RJ Barrett three-point attempt, to Porzingis' rim protection in drop coverage and perimeter defenders flying around to deny passing lanes and contest shooters, the Celtics' defense was swarming.

4. Tatum got the visitors off to a strong start at the other end, making his first three field goals and finishing the quarter with 10 points on 4/5 shooting, including burying a step-back corner three against Immanuel Quickley.

5. Porzingis also made his presence felt on offense, finishing off a lob from Derrick White and demonstrating he's an elite kick-out option who will consistently bury threes from above the break, often well behind the line.

The Unicorn finished the first quarter with 15 points, leading all scorers.

6. Boston's defense was less active in the second frame, and its pace slowed offensively. The visitors also had trouble keeping the Knicks off the glass. Led by Julius Randle's four offensive rebounds, the hosts extended eight possessions, resulting in ten second-chance points.

The Celtics struggled in that area in the preseason. They went double-big for most of the second period to address that, including pairing Porzingis with Luke Kornet, but the results remained disappointing.

That, seven first-half turnovers, and a lack of ball movement kept New York within five, 51-46, at the break. 

7. Tatum started the third quarter on fire, scoring Boston's first seven points.

But the lack of on and off-ball movement, a problem throughout the night, contributed to poor shooting from beyond the arc and struggling to find, let alone sustain, a rhythm offensively.

The ball stopped finding Porzingis as much during the Celtics' third-period rough patch, and they didn't capitalize on reliable sources of scoring like feeding Tatum or Holiday in the low post.

8. Fortunately for the visitors, they stayed locked in defensively, something that hasn't always been the case when their offense runs dry in recent years. They held the hosts to 27 points in the frame and staged a late 10-2 run, taking an 82-73 edge into the final 12 minutes.

9. While Boston built momentum to end the third, the Knicks opened the fourth quarter on a 13-2 run. The former's lack of scoring included Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser missing open threes. Horford finished with eight of his team's ten bench points.

10. While it happened just before crunch time, with the Celtics needing a basket, Brown and Porzingis teamed on a pick-and-roll that ended with the latter flaring out to the left wing, gathering a feed from the former and knocking down a three.

Porzingis' abilities in the pick-and-roll and as a kickout option are a significant reason the C's offense in the final five minutes of games within five should improve significantly.

11. While New York made six of its first eight threes in the final frame, Boston's defense buckled down, keeping it close despite minimal movement or downhill attacking offensively.

And between clutch free throws and Porzingis' impact popping out for and knocking down threes after screening, the Celtics staged a 10-2 run within the final three minutes, rallying for a 108-104 win on opening night.

Further Reading

Jaylen Brown Discusses Opening Night, Importance of Clarity, Motivation, and Learning from Celtics' Legends

Jaylen Brown Teams with Johnny Cupcakes to Give Back to Boston

Rajon Rondo Latest Former Celtic to Spend Time with C's

Celtics Embracing Sacrifice in Championship Pursuit: 'Have to Buy into That'

Al Horford Shares Where Kristaps Porzingis Has Impressed Him Most

Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present

Candace Parker on Celtics Trading Marcus Smart, Maximizing Tatum-Brown Tandem, Pat Summitt, and the Sports Matter Initiative

Here's What to Know About Celtics' 2023-24 Schedule

Dwyane Wade Discusses Jayson Tatum's Next Step, Him and Jaylen Brown's Challenge, Heat Culture, Pat Riley, Damian Lillard, and Life After Basketball

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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