BOSTON — The Boston Celtics were the most dominant team in the NBA last season, yet they reached another level of basketball nirvana during their 2024-25 season debut against the New York Knicks. On Tuesday night, the C’s trounced their Eastern Conference foes 132-109 and never seemed to break a sweat while doing so.
Although the reigning champions were considered the favorites, this wasn’t supposed to be a blowout. The Celtics went up by as much as 35 points on the new-look Knicks, who added four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and Villanova standout Mikal Bridges this offseason. New York’s summer moves were made with Boston in mind, however, the Green Team appeared unmoved.
In the wake of the opening night beatdown, let’s delve into the Celtics’ impressive showing with three overreactions from their historic win.
Jayson Tatum looked like the best player in the NBA
Celtics star Jayson Tatum earned his first championship in June and likely guaranteed his spot in the Hall of Fame. Despite his accomplishments, many decided to focus on his lack of minutes in the 2024 Paris Olympics. While Team USA took home gold, the five-time All-Star didn’t hit a single 3-pointer and was benched for multiple contests.
All of the questions surrounding Tatum’s shooting form practically vanished on Tuesday. The 2024 NBA champion wreaked havoc on the Knicks from deep, cashing eight of his 11 attempts from 3-point land. He finished with 37 points in just 30 minutes of play while shooting around 78% from the floor. In addition, the Knicks’ starting five only had 13 assists to Tatum’s 10.
Simply put, Tatum looked superhuman. No matter which talented defender the Knicks threw at Tatum, whether it was OG Anunoby or Bridges, he did not slow down. His hot shooting drew plenty of defensive attention and he scored a ton of open looks for others. As a result of Tatum’s passing and some incredible offensive efficiency, Boston drained 29 triples — enough for the most in a single game in franchise history.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was proud of his guys for staying focused despite the distractions of Ring Night, and he specifically praised Tatum’s performance:
“I’m proud of obviously, the way he shot the ball, but more just how he dominated the game in all the areas,” Mazzulla told the media. “The guy just works hard every day, doesn’t allow things to get in the way of what’s most important.”
Tatum, like every NBA star, will have bad shooting nights. But, if he can continue to make the right reads at an elite level, it’ll be extremely difficult to stop the Celtics.
The Celtics could be one of the most prolific 3-point shooting teams ever
Not only did the Celtics set a franchise record for 3-pointers, but they also came one triple shy of owning the league record for the most in a single contest. Instead, they tied the all-time output set by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020.
During the first matchup of the preseason, the C’s previewed their 3-point barrage by launching 61 treys against the Denver Nuggets. Prior to that exhibition game, the Green Team had never attempted more than 60 triples in a single outing in the regular season or playoffs.
That precedent didn’t last long in the new season, as Boston converted 29 of its 61 shots from beyond the arc on Tuesday. Even though the Celtics bricked their last 13 tries from 3-point range, they still shot a remarkable 47.5% past the perimeter (and 50.5% from the field).
With Mazzulla at the helm, the Celtics have shown their love of the long ball. They attempted the most 3-pointers in the league last season and given what transpired versus New York, they could do it again at an even higher rate.
The Celtics have already sent a warning shot to the rest of the league
Notching a statement win one game into the season is very rare, yet the Celtics might’ve done just that.
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Four of the Knicks’ five starters shot over 50% for the night and guard Miles “Deuce” McBride added 22 points off the bench. They shot an astounding 55.1% as a team and turned the ball over 11 times, which was better than their average of 13 turnovers per game last season.
All of these factors sound like a recipe for success, however, they still suffered a 23-point loss in a game that was far from competitive. Furthermore, the Celtics were without center Kristaps Porzingis, who’ll be sidelined for the next few months with a rare ankle injury.
The fact that the C’s were able to brush off a solid game from the Knicks should worry most of the Association. New York boasts one of the best starting lineups at the moment, and it just couldn’t keep up with Boston’s ball movement and shot-making. The Celtics only had three turnovers, posted 13 more assists than the Knicks, and prevailed in the rebounding war.
Perhaps the scariest part of all for the rest of the NBA is that the Celtics acted like this was business as usual. Celtics star and reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown didn’t celebrate the victory much but rather stated how eager he is to face the challenges of the regular season.
“I’m excited. You know, we got the journey started, first game, a lot of emotions. But it’s a long season,” Brown acknowledged. “It’s a battle of consistency. One game is just one game … It was great to get the opening night [win], but I’m excited to be there for my team in those moments where it’s tough, those moments where we’re not shooting the ball well, those moments where everything is not going our way. I’m looking for those moments.”
Of course, the Knicks weren’t fully healthy and are still working out the kinks with their new squad. And as Brown referenced, winning the season opener doesn’t count more than any other regular season battle.
Yet, the Celtics were relentless, hungry, and dominant against a championship contender, and that should strike some fear into future opponents.