Jayson Tatum scored 37 points as the Boston Celtics began their NBA title defense with a dominant 132-109 win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday. The Celtics kicked off the season with a celebratory pre-game ceremony, raising their record-breaking 18th championship banner at TD Garden, before delivering a performance that showed why they remain the team to beat.
Boston came out firing, putting up a massive 43-point first quarter to take control early, with Tatum lighting it up from beyond the arc, sinking 18 points from three-point range across the first two quarters. His shooting helped the Celtics build a commanding lead, as they entered halftime ahead 74-55.
Tatum, who addressed the packed crowd before the game, expressed his pride in the team’s response. “Tonight was emotional — celebrating what we accomplished last year,” Tatum said. “For a lot of us, that was our first experience getting a ring and raising the banner. So tonight was special. The way we reset and got down to business against a really good team shows our focus.”
The Celtics are coming off a championship season in which they won 64 regular-season games and dropped only three in the playoffs, clinching the title with a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. That win followed years of playoff heartbreak, including a 4-2 defeat to Golden State in the 2022 Finals and a tough 4-3 loss to Miami in the 2023 Western Conference finals.
With much of last season’s roster intact, including stars like Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and newly acquired Jrue Holiday, Boston looks well-prepared to defend their title. In Tuesday’s opener, all four players hit double digits before halftime, leaving the Knicks struggling to keep up as Boston continued their dominant form from last season.
Although the Knicks had enjoyed parity in a 31-31 second quarter, Boston were in no mood to let their advantage slip after the break, coasting home to close out the win.
Tatum finished with 10 assists and four rebounds in addition to his 37 points, with White adding 24 points and Brown 23. Holiday added 18 while Al Horford chipped in with 11.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks scoring with 22 points, alongside Miles McBride with 22 from the bench.
Tatum was frustrated with a series of missed three-pointers from the team in the fourth quarter but praised his team’s ability to switch focus after the festivities.
“The transition from last year (that) was special and tonight (too). But it’s kind of like we’ve got to put it behind us. We got our rings, raised the banner and now it’s on to the next season. We’ve got to get ready for Washington on Thursday now,” he added.
