The Boston Celtics have opened their NBA title defense with an epic beating.
Boston throttled the New York Knicks on Tuesday night in the NBA’s Tip-Off game, 132-109, on a night when they tied the NBA record for most 3-pointers in a single game (29).
Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 37 points and also chipped in 10 assists, while Derrick White poured in 24 and Jaylen Brown added 23. All five Celtics starters hit double figures in scoring, as Boston shot 50.5% from the field.
The Celtics tried to set the mark for most 3-pointers down the stretch, but they missed their last 13 attempts.
New York played fairly well on offense, and actually finished with a shooting percentage almost five points higher (55.1%) than Boston’s.
Miles McBride and Jalen Brunson led the way with 22 points apiece, while new acquisition Karl-Anthony Towns scored just 12 points on five-of-nine shooting.
USA TODAY Sports provided updates, highlights and analysis throughout the NBA’s season-opening game.
Celtics vs. Knicks highlights
Celtics continue to dominate in the third quarter
This one’s all but over.
The Celtics continued their blazing hot shooting from beyond the arc and went 8-of-11 on 3s in the third quarter alone. Now, Boston is threatening to break the NBA record for 3-pointers in a single game.
The Celtics have flushed 26 made 3s through three quarters — on an absurd 57.8% shooting — which is just three off from tying the 29 the Milwaukee Bucks made in a December 2020 game against the Miami Heat.
More importantly, Boston is nursing a 113-87 lead headed into the fourth.
The Celtics have been a model of efficiency, assisting on 27-of-41 made baskets, while committing only two turnovers.
Jayson Tatum has led the way, draining eight from beyond the arc, for 37 points.
The Knicks have actually played fairly well on offense, shooting 57.6% from the floor (which is just 0.1% off from Boston’s rate), but New York has had no answer for Boston’s offensive prowess.
The Celtics figure to sit their stars for most — if not all — of the remainder of the game.
Halftime: Celtics own commanding lead on Knicks, 74-55
The New York Knicks are shooting 57.9% from the floor. The Boston Celtics are shooting 55.1%. The Knicks, at halftime, are in a 19-point hole.
One significant reason why: Boston took 11 more shots in the first half, fueled in large part, on six offensive rebounds. That led to Celtics scored 11 second-chance points; the Knicks have only three.
Yet, there’s no question Boston’s huge lead opened on the barrage of 3s it rained down on the Knicks. The Celtics made 17-of-32 (53.1%) attempts, tying the franchise record for most made 3-pointers in a single half.
Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 25 points, although Boston has four of its starters already in double figures: Jaylen Brown (12), Derrick White (11) and Jrue Holiday (10).
In the second quarter, the Knicks got nine points from Jalen Brunson, who finished the half with 15. Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in 12, though backup guard Miles McBride kept New York on life support, with 14 points off the bench.
Celtics up 19 after one quarter of play
The Celtics are picking up right where they left off.
After leading the NBA last season in attempted 3-pointers, Boston ignited out of the gate, going four-of-eight from beyond the arc not even five full minutes into the game. It didn’t stop there. The Celtics finished the first frame 10-of-17 from 3 to open a 19-point lead on New York.
In fact, that was one converted 3-point shot shy of tying the franchise record for most in a single quarter.
Perhaps looking to shake off a difficult summer in which he was benched for much of Team USA’s gold medal run in the Olympics, Jayson Tatum erupted in the first quarter, opening the game five-of-seven from the field, including four-of-six from 3. Tatum led all scorers with 15 points.
Defensively, Boston — as it did last season — relied on its defensive versatility to frustrate opposing players; in the early going, the Celtics had three different players match up with star Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson: Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Jaylen Brown.
New York’s new additions had mixed starts: forward Mikal Bridges, who unveiled his revised shot form, missed all four of his attempts, while Karl-Anthony Towns went two-of-three for four points.
The Celtics lead 43-24.
Celtics unveil massive championship rings
The 2024-25 NBA season is set to tip off Tuesday night, but the Celtics have already won — at least with their new hardware.
The team unveiled massive rings after winning the record 18th championship in the June NBA Finals over the Dallas Mavericks. The rings feature 15 carats of white diamonds, representing the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference. That’s just where the symbolism starts.
The ring also features a removable top that uncovers a tiny replica of the championship banner the Celtics raised Tuesday night before they host the Knicks in the season opener. The inside of the removable lid holds a small, circular piece of the actual parquet floor on which Boston clinched the title.
When is Celtics-Knicks game?
Opening tip will be Tuesday, Oct. 22 at about 7:30 p.m. ET.
Where is Celtics-Knicks game?
The Celtics will host the Knicks from TD Garden in Boston.
How to watch Celtics-Knicks game
The game will be broadcast on TNT, and can be streamed on Sling.
NBA games today
New York Knicks at Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. ET on TNT
Celtics vs Knicks odds, line
The Boston Celtics are favorites to defeat the New York Knicks in Tuesday’s NBA regular-season opener, according to the BetMGM odds.
Spread: Celtics (-5.5)
Moneyline: Knicks (+185); Celtics (-225)
Over/under: 222.5
Celtics vs Knicks all-time record
The Celtics and Knicks have played 494 times during the regular season in their histories, with Boston leading the series 304-190. They’ve also played an additional 67 games during the postseason, with the Celtics winning 36 games and the Knicks winning 31.
Celtics starting five
PG, Jrue Holiday
SG, Derrick White
SF, Jaylen Brown
PF, Jayson Tatum
C, Al Horford
Knicks starting five
PG, Jalen Brunson
SG, Mikal Bridges
SF, Josh Hart
PF, OG Anunoby
C, Karl-Anthony Towns
NBA season predictions
The experts at USA TODAY Network offer predictions for the season ahead, including which team will lift the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
Jeff Zillgitt: Celtics over Thunder
Scooby Axson: Celtics over Timberwolves
Lorenzo Reyes: Nuggets over Knicks
Damichael Cole: Thunder over Celtics
Dustin Dopirak: Celtics over Nuggets
Jim Owczarski: Thunder over Celtics
Duane Rankin: Celtics over Timberwolves
Heather Tucker: Celtics over Suns
Kristaps Porzingis injury update
Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis will not play in the Celtics’ opener against the Knicks. Boston announced last June that Porzingis would miss the start of the 2024-25 NBA season after he underwent surgery to repair the unusual ankle injury – torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon – that he played through in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. — Mark Giannotto
‘Inside the NBA’ enters final season
Tuesday is the last first game of the season for TNT’s popular and award-winning “Inside the NBA” program and crew.
Ernie Johnson. Charles Barkley. Kenny Smith. Shaquille O’Neal. A collective national treasure, if sports shows can be considered national treasures.
Read Jeff Zillgitt’s complete column on how they have woven their way into the vibrant fabric of the NBA through the television screen – a perfectly imperfect blend of basketball, serious debate, humor, entertainment and life.
Joe Mazzulla says Celtics have ‘zero pressure’
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla had an interesting – if borderline nihilistic – response when asked about the pressure his defending-championship team is facing.
‘Zero,’ Mazzulla told reporters Monday. ‘No pressure. We’re all going to be dead soon and it really doesn’t matter anymore so, like, there’s zero pressure. You’re either going to win or you’re not. And when you win, you try to forget about it a week later, and when you lose, you try to forget about it a week later. So it’s not pressure, it’s an opportunity.” — Lorenzo Reyes
NBA MVP candidates
Who is this year’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the next player to move deep into the NBA MVP conversation? Jeff Zillgitt breaks down the top candidates.
NBA 2024-25 regular season: Biggest questions
Can the Celtics repeat? That is among six key questions heading into the start of the new NBA regular season. Read the story by Lorenzo Reyes.
NBA 2024-25 regular season: Biggest free agent acquisitions
Teams who believe they are contenders can see that championship window open quickly – and shut quickly. Jeff Zillgitt provides the five most intriguing, title-altering free agent acquisitions to watch in the 2024-25 NBA season.
NBA power rankings
Here is every team in the NBA ranked based on their championship odds heading into the 2024-25 regular season. All odds via BetMGM.
Boston Celtics (+325)
Oklahoma City Thunder (+500)
New York Knicks (+650)
Philadelphia 76ers (+1000)
Denver Nuggets (+1100)
Dallas Mavericks (+1200)
Minnesota Timberwolves (+1200)
Milwaukee Bucks (+1400)
Phoenix Suns (+2000)
Cleveland Cavaliers (+3500)
Memphis Grizzlies (+3500)
Ken Griffey Jr and Ken Griffey Sr will be at Lakers game
When LeBron James and Bronny James take the court for the first time as members of the Los Angeles Lakers, it will be a moment like no other in NBA history.
That’s why former MLB stars Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Sr. will be on hand Tuesday night as the Lakers open the 2024-25 regular season at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“First father and son to play baseball, now first father and son to play basketball, so it’s a big deal for my dad and I to be there,” Griffey Jr. said on SiriusXM radio earlier this week.
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