Key Moment
That had to feel good for Kristaps Porzingis.
During his first game with his new team, while playing against his first team, Porzingis shook off early boos from New York’s faithful and turned them into groans as he drained the biggest shot of the night to lead Boston to a 108-104 win over the Knicks. The 7-foot-3 big man took over during the fourth quarter, scoring 12 of his 30 points, including a game-changing 3-pointer with 1:29 remaining.
That moment was the first in which we saw Brad Stevens’ offseason vision come to life, one which featured Porzingis adding a new dynamic to Boston’s fourth-quarter offense.
With 1:35 remaining and the game tied at 101-101, Jayson Tatum accepted a pass from Derrick White at the top of the 3-point arc and quickly engaged with a screen being set by Porzingis. Once Tatum’s defender, R.J. Barrett, and Porzingis’ defender, Isaiah Hartenstein, began to trap Tatum, Porzingis popped into open space on the right wing. Tatum immediately bounced a pass over to him and Porzingis let one fly from 27 feet out.
Money.
This was a no-doubter that served as the go-ahead basket heading toward the final minute. Boston maintained a lead the rest of the way while closing out its first win of the season.
Key Player
While Kristaps Porzingis was the star of the fourth quarter, Jayson Tatum was the star of the night.
Tatum logged a monster double-double during his first game of the season, erupting for a 34-point, 11-rebound performance that set the tone for the season. He led the game outright in scoring and tied New York’s Julius Randle for the game’s top rebounding mark.
The most beautiful piece of Tatum’s night was his three-level scoring. He canned three triples, two midrange shots, and eight shots at the rim while making 13 of his 22 attempts overall. When he’s putting the ball through the net from all three levels, the opponent might as well throw up the white flag.
Tatum rounded out his box score with four assists, two steals and a blocked shot during his nearly 39 minutes of action.
Box Score Nuggets
- Jayson Tatum led the game outright in scoring (34 points) and tied for the game high in rebounding (11 boards).
- Jaylen Brown led the Celtics in assists with five.
- Kristaps Porzingis set a Celtics franchise record for most points scored in a debut game with the team, with 30 points.
- Immanuel Quickley led New York with 24 points.
- The Knicks made 18 shots from long distance, compared to Boston's 12.
- Boston's bench was outscored 38-12.
- Porzingis added in four blocked shots to go along with eight rebounds.
- New York did not block a single shot.
- Jrue Holiday blocked three shots during his debut with the team.
Quote of the Night
“He has an innate ability to put two on the ball ... When he gets to space, he's a magnet.”
– Joe Mazzulla on the level of attention Jayson Tatum demands from defenses