The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks took the court for the opening game of the NBA season Tuesday night, a clash that Jalen Brunson said Tuesday morning was a fair barometer -- despite being the first game -- for where the new-look Knicks stand against the defending champions.
But instead of a tense, dramatic affair, the only drama on this night at TD Garden, where the Celtics raised their record-setting 18th NBA championship banner to the rafters, was watching Boston spend the final 8:54 of the 132-109 win over New York trying -- and, ultimately, failing -- to break the NBA record for 3-pointers made in a game.
After Al Horford had Boston's third straight make to start the fourth quarter with 8:54 remaining -- pushing Boston into a tie with the Milwaukee Bucks for the NBA record with 29 makes in a game -- the Celtics missed 13 consecutive attempts, including three air balls and several other ugly misses, in what turned out to be the only thing that didn't go Boston's way.
"It was almost like we got jinxed or something," Celtics forward Jaylen Brown said. "It was like when we were just playing, having fun, playing our style of basketball, everything was going in. And then once the crowd got into it and we started hunting them, we couldn't even hit the broad side of the barn. Everything was off. We got a bunch of great looks, and it was like a lid on the basket.
"So that just shows, like, we're not a team that's hunting 3s. We play the game and we do what we're supposed to do, but I think towards the end it was tough because we wasn't playing the way we had normally played. But we still had a bunch of great looks."
Before Boston's cold streak, the Celtics had gone 29-for-48 from behind the arc -- part of a teamwide offensive display that saw the Celtics finish with 33 assists compared to just three turnovers. Jayson Tatum, fresh off tweaking his jumper this summer, finished with 37 points on 14-for-18 shooting, including 8-for-11 from 3-point range.
But for as hot as the Celtics were for most of the game, that's how cold they became down the stretch. Despite the crowd chanting "One more 3" on several occasions, it wasn't enough for Boston to get over the line as the Celtics spoiled the Knicks debuts of big-name offseason acquisitions Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns.
"I asked around, like, 26 what [the record] was," Celtics guard Derrick White said, "and then someone told me. And then when we were tied, I was like, 'Oh, we're one away from the record.'
"I shouldn't have said anything. It's kind of like a no-hitter, huh. I blame myself for that one."
The Knicks blamed themselves -- and, specifically, their defense -- for allowing the game to get away from them as quickly and thoroughly as it did. From coach Tom Thibodeau to Towns to Brunson, every part of New York's franchise made it clear that it's going to take a far better effort at that end of the court to compete with Boston for Eastern Conference supremacy.
"We can talk about offense all y'all want," said Towns, who had 12 points and 7 rebounds in 23 minutes. "I'll leave that to y'all when y'all go home and write the stories. But I know for us we got to play defense."
Boston seemed to repeatedly catch New York off-guard with quick looks in transition -- another thing many players pointed to as a problem. And, according to Second Spectrum, the Celtics made 15 3-pointers on half-court sets that came within the first 12 seconds, tied for their most in a game since player tracking began in 2013-14.
"We were in rotation," said Brunson, who led the Knicks with 22 points in 24 minutes. "It started with Jayson knocking down a lot of shots off the pick-and-roll and then us adjusting and him making the right play, getting us in rotation.
"So got to give the credit to them. They're a good team. What they do is unique, and we were just on our heels all night."
What players on both sides agreed on, however, was that this was just one game of 82. And while Boston fulfilled its stated mandate to try to approach this season as if it was a team challenging for the title, rather than one coming off claiming its 18th NBA championship, New York now sees just how much work it has to do in order to reach the levels it hopes to this season.
"It's Game 1," Thibodeau said. "We didn't have that much time yet. But it's early, and you got to learn from it. So our thing is get better from this and watch film, and I think it was a great test for a team like this, who are already up there.
"It's a good test, and we'll learn from that and try to build on what we got to do with our habits and everything."
Celtics Raise Championship Banner No. 18
The Celtics, with their record-setting 18th NBA championship banner raised to the rafters at TD Garden, celebrated their latest championship on Tuesday night in a ceremony before opening night against the New York Knicks. The players also received their championship rings.
Some of the players paused their shooting to watch the video tracing their title journey, from the drafting of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum through the acquisition of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
Another video featured highlights of John Havlicek and Bill Russell winning titles in the 1950s and ‘60s through the final seconds of the Celtics’ Game 5 win over the Dallas Mavericks last spring.
Six-time champion Bob Cousy came out in a wheelchair, followed by Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to see the 2024 championship banner go up next to the one they won in 2008. Gov. Maura Healey proclaimed Tuesday “Celtics Banner 18 Day” in Massachusetts.
A Night of Rings and Celebration
Boston players, coaches, the front office, and ownership all collected their lavish championship rings before raising the banner. The rings were created in collaboration with Jason of Beverly Hills.
There are diamonds all over the ring, including 18 emerald cut diamonds to represent the 18 titles in Celtics history. They are engraved with the 2024 playoff series results and “Whatever it takes,” which was the team’s mantra during last season.
But the coolest parts of the rings are hidden. The top of the ring can be removed, which reveals the 2024 banner on one side, and a piece of the TD Garden parquet floor on the other, which is engraved with the date and final score of Boston’s title-clinching Game 5 victory over the Mavs.
The Celtics obviously couldn't wear their rings when the game tipped off against the Knicks, but they did have some championship bling on them with this patch on the back of their jerseys:
Celtics fans also had a treat waiting for them. Green and white “Banner 18” t-shirts were on each seat inside TD Garden, which spelled out “617,” “18,” and “BOS” in the lower bowl of the Garden.
Celtics Take the Court After Raising Banner No. 18
The Celtics' 29 made threes tonight ties the single-game three-point record, previously set by the Milwaukee Bucks in December of 2020. New York finished the game shooting 55.1 percent from the field, but simply could not compete with the Celtics' clinic from downtown.
All five of Boston's starters finished in double digits, led by 37 points and eight three-pointers from Jayson Tatum. New York was paced by 22 points apiece from Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride.
While the Celtics' shooting performance will be the main takeaway tonight, the Knicks offense showed potential in their first regular season action together. New York shot 55.1 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from deep, led by 22 points from both Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 12 points on 5-9 shooting and after a scoreless first half, Mikal Bridges finished with 16 points including two three-pointers.
Similar to Jayson Tatum, Derrick White enters this season fresh off a hefty extension, and he looked like the same player Celtics' fans have fallen in love with over the last few years. White finished as Boston's second-leading scorer with 24 points on 6-10 shooting from deep. He also added three rebounds, four assists and a steal in typical Derrick White fashion.
After tinkering with his jump shot throughout the summer, Jayson Tatum was not bashful in showing off his new jumper tonight. From the opening minutes, Tatum was launching from long range, setting the tone for a prolific night by the Celtics.
He finished with 37 points, including 8-11 shooting from deep. More impressive, a majority of these triples came off the dribble and over Knicks contests.
A Defending Champ’s Domination
The Celtics have 29 made 3s and the Knicks have taken 30 3s.
This is pure entertainment. The Celtics have now missed 13 3-pointers in a row as they aim to break the record.
Looks like both sides have emptied their benches here in Boston. The Celtics reserves are firing away from deep chasing this record but have not succeeded yet. In the meantime, the Knicks have cut the lead to 23 points and Joe Mazzulla calls timeout.
One away from the first game ever with 30 3-pointers made.
History about to be established in the first game out of 1,230 this regular season.
Overlooked stat for the Celtics tonight: Just three turnovers so far. Especially for a regular season opener, they have played an incredibly clean game. That was a staple of their offense last season, when they led the league in turnover rate.
With a right-corner three from Al Horford, the Boston Celtics have now tied the single-game three-pointer record with 29 makes. With still over eight minutes remaining, the record previously held by the Bucks is in grave danger.
Boston seems like they're hunting the single-game three-point record here, now just one make away from tying the all-time NBA record. Feels very likely at this point.
The biggest individual takeaway for the Celtics tonight is Derrick White’s scoring holding up after his breakout season. Players often have a year where they catch fire and then lose their touch over the offseason, but he looks better than ever.
