Boston Celtics defeat New York Knicks on NBA opening night after receiving championship rings

CNN
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It was a night of celebration for the Boston Celtics.

Before the opening game of the new 2024-25 NBA season at home against the New York Knicks, the Celtics received their championship rings for winning the title last season and hoisted the No. 18 banner in the rafters of the TD Garden.

They then defeated the Knicks 132-109 and led by as many as 35 points in the fourth quarter, led by a great start from Jason Tatum.

The 26-year-old star finished the game with a game-high 37 points on an absurdly efficient 14 of 18 shooting, including 8 of 11 from three-point range, to go along with 10 assists, four rebounds, a steal and a block.

Derrick White had 24 points and Jaylen Brown, last season's Finals MVP, added 23 more.

The Celtics tied the NBA record of 29 three-pointers in a game early in the fourth quarter, but then – in a hilarious moment – missed their final 13 attempts, much to the amusement of the crowd.

“It was almost like we were put under a spell or something,” Brown said, according to ESPN. “When we just played, had fun and played our style of basketball, everything went right. And then when the crowd started and we started chasing them, we couldn't even hit the broad side of the barn.

“Everything was over. We got a lot of great looks and it was like a lid on the basket. So that shows that we are not a team that goes for threes.

“We play the game and do what we're supposed to do, but I think towards the end it was difficult because we weren't playing like we normally did. But we still had a lot of great looks.”

White joked that he blamed himself for the Celtics missing their final 13 attempts after he asked about the score during the game.

“I shouldn’t have said anything.”

New York's new tandem of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, acquired by Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a major offseason trade, failed against Boston's stifling defense.

Towns scored just 12 points and played just 23 minutes in the loss.

Brunson scored 22 points alongside Miles McBride, who shot 80% off the bench, a rare highlight for the Knicks.

Next up, New York hosts the Indiana Pacers while Boston travels to the Washington Wizards.