Celtics Earn Rings, History vs. Knicks on Opening Night

The New York Knicks were on the wrong end of an opening night shellacking against the Boston Celtics.

Oct 22, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) returns the ball to score against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

The good news for the New York Knicks is that things can only get better from here.

New York's most anticipated season in recent memory got off to a sour start on Tuesday night, as they dropped their opener to the Boston Celtics by a 132-109 final at TD Garden. The Knicks (0-1) have now lost game one in three consecutive seasons, their first such streak since dropping four in 2002-05.

Jayson Tatum led the way in the first game on the 2024-25 NBA docket, scoring 37 points on 14-of-18 from the field. Each Celtics starter reached double figures while Tatum earned a double-double by tossing 10 assists. Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride led the Knicks' scoring tallies in defeat, as each scored 22.

Oct 22, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives to the basket against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

It wound up being a historic night for Boston in more ways than one: not only did the Celtics (1-0) receive the championship rings they earned after securing the franchise's record 18th championship last summer but they also sank 29 three-pointers, tying an NBA record set by the Milwaukee Bucks in December 2020.

Boston made no secret about going for the record 30th but it missed its final 13 attempts in an attempt to appease a crowd yearning for more history. Even with the excessive misses in the end, the Celtics still sank 47.5 percent of their tries from deep (29-of-61) with Tatum and Derrick White alone responsible for nearly half of the extra point tallies on their own, uniting for 14.

Even though the Celtics fell short of the all-time triples record, they shattered the prior primary tally for most in a season debut, as the Charlotte Hornets had 23 in their 2019-20 opener against Chicago.

The excessive triples rendered an otherwise effective shooting night for the Knicks, who hit over 55 percent of their tries from the field. Only 11, however, came from three-point range and Mikal Bridges' issues were well-noticed: Bridges missed all five of his tries in the first half while the Celtics built their lead, all but one coming from three.

The former Brooklyn Net did recover well enough to shoot 7-of-8 in the second half, which saw Boston inflate its lead to as much as 35 before relenting well enough to give the Knicks' rookies like Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek their first professional points and minutes.

Oct 22, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7), guard Jrue Holiday (4) and guard Derrick White (9) react after a play against the New York Knicks in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

After Tatum hit a three with 3:57 remaining in the first frame, Boston tipped off a 19-7 run to close out the period and established a double-figure they'd never relinquish. The Celtics had plenty of opportunities to hit more three-pointers thanks to 11 offensive rebounds. Four Celtics had at least two (with Xavier Tillman pulling in three) while the Knicks has a whole generated only five second chances.

Boston's defense allowed Karl-Anthony Towns to take only two three-pointers, though he did score 12 on 5-of-9 from the field. OG Anunoby wasn't as lucy going only 1-of-7 in his debut as a full-time Knicks. New York has some time to generate some momentum before their next meeting with the reigning champions, as Boston is not due to visit Manhattan until February.

In the meantime, the Knicks will get a chance to recover on Friday night, which will also serve as an opportunity for a quantum of revenge: the 2024-25 Madison Square Garden slate opens against the Indiana Pacers, who ended the Knicks' most recent postseason run in the conference semifinal round (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/ESPN).

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