There’s no championship hangover in Boston.
The Celtics hung their 18th banner and tried on their new rings in a pregame ceremony Tuesday night. They then proceeded to trounce the New York Knicks, picking up where they left off in June with a 132-109 win to open the new NBA season, tying the single game 3-point record in the process.
Jayson Tatum started the game with a 3-pointer in the game’s opening 10 seconds.
It was a sign of things to come as Boston torched the Knicks with a 29-of-61 effort from 3-point distance, tying the NBA record for 3s made in a single game. The Milwaukee Bucks previously set the record with 29 3-pointers in a 144-97 romp over the Miami Heat in 2020.
The Celtics seemed to have the record locked up as their own when Al Horford tied it with Boston’s 29th 3-pointer with nearly nine minutes left in the game.
But Boston pulled its starters in the blowout, and the Celtics missed their final 13 attempts from long distance.
Tatum, who spent the bulk of his summer in Paris on the bench as a little-used Olympian, led the way and again showed his chops as the centerpiece of a championship team. He finished the game with 37 points, 10 assists, and four rebounds while shooting 14 of 18 from the field and 8 of 11 from 3.
But it wasn’t a one-man show. Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Al Horford each took their turns in the 3-point barrage as Boston’s balanced roster of stars was at its best.
Brown finished with 23 points while shooting 5 of 9 from 3. White tallied 24 points while shooting 6 of 10 from long distance. Holiday shot 4 of 6 from 3 en route to 18 points. Horford added 11 points while shooting 3 of 5 from 3.
Jalen Brunson did his best for the Knicks on the other end while leading a new-look starting lineup with 22 points and two assists. But it wasn’t nearly enough as the game was out of hand by the end of a first quarter the Celtics led, 43-24. Boston hit 10 3-pointers in the first quarter to set the tone.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 12 points and seven rebonds in his Knicks debut. Mikal Bridges struggled early in his first game since a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. He was scoreless at halftime but finished with 16 points and two assists while shooing 7 of 13 from the floor and 2 of 7 from 3.
