Celtics bury Knicks, tie NBA 3-point record with 29

BOSTON — The Celtics and New York Knicks took the court docket for the opening sport of the NBA season Tuesday evening, a conflict that Jalen Brunson mentioned Tuesday morning was a good barometer — regardless of being the primary sport — for the place the new-look Knicks stand in opposition to the defending champions.

However as an alternative of a tense, dramatic affair, the one drama on this evening at TD Backyard, the place the Celtics raised their record-setting 18th NBA championship banner to the rafters, was watching Boston spend the ultimate 8:54 of the 132-109 win over New York attempting — and, in the end, failing — to interrupt the NBA document for 3-pointers made in a sport.

After Al Horford had Boston’s third straight make to begin the fourth quarter with 8:54 remaining — pushing Boston right into a tie with the Milwaukee Bucks for the NBA document with 29 makes in a sport — the Celtics missed 13 consecutive makes an attempt, together with three air balls and a number of other different ugly misses, in what turned out to be the one factor that did not go Boston’s method.

“It was virtually like we obtained jinxed or one thing,” Celtics ahead Jaylen Brown mentioned. “It was like once we have been simply enjoying, having enjoyable, enjoying our type of basketball, all the things was getting into. After which as soon as the group obtained into it and we began searching them, we could not even hit the broad aspect of the barn. Every thing was off. We obtained a bunch of nice seems, and it was like a lid on the basket.

“In order that simply exhibits, like, we’re not a group that is searching 3s. We play the sport and we do what we’re presupposed to do, however I feel in direction of the tip it was powerful as a result of we wasn’t enjoying the best way we had usually performed. However we nonetheless had a bunch of nice seems.”

Earlier than Boston’s chilly streak, the Celtics had gone 29-for-48 from behind the arc — a part of a teamwide offensive show that noticed the Celtics end with 33 assists in comparison with simply three turnovers. Jayson Tatum, recent off tweaking his jumper this summer season, completed with 37 factors on 14-for-18 capturing, together with 8-for-11 from 3-point vary.

However for as sizzling because the Celtics have been for many of the sport, that is how chilly they grew to become down the stretch. Regardless of the group chanting “Another 3” on a number of events, it wasn’t sufficient for Boston to recover from the road because the Celtics spoiled the Knicks debuts of big-name offseason acquisitions Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Cities.

“I requested round, like, 26 what [the record] was,” Celtics guard Derrick White mentioned, “after which somebody informed me. After which once we have been tied, I used to be like, ‘Oh, we’re one away from the document.’

“I should not have mentioned something. It is type of like a no-hitter, huh. I blame myself for that one.”

The Knicks blamed themselves — and, particularly, their protection — for permitting the sport to get away from them as rapidly and completely because it did. From coach Tom Thibodeau to Cities to Brunson, each a part of New York’s franchise made it clear that it may take a much better effort at that finish of the court docket to compete with Boston for Jap Convention supremacy.

“We will discuss offense all y’all need,” mentioned Cities, who had 12 factors and seven rebounds in 23 minutes. “I am going to go away that to y’all when y’all go house and write the tales. However I do know for us we obtained to play protection.”

Boston appeared to repeatedly catch New York off-guard with fast seems in transition — one other factor many gamers pointed to as an issue. And, in line with Second Spectrum, the Celtics made 15 3-pointers on half-court units that got here inside the first 12 seconds, tied for his or her most in a sport since participant monitoring started in 2013-14.

“We have been in rotation,” mentioned Brunson, who led the Knicks with 22 factors in 24 minutes. “It began with Jayson flattening a whole lot of photographs off the pick-and-roll after which us adjusting and him making the proper play, getting us in rotation.

“So obtained to present the credit score to them. They are a good group. What they do is exclusive, and we have been simply on our heels all evening.”

What gamers on each side agreed on, nonetheless, was that this was only one sport of 82. And whereas Boston fulfilled its said mandate to attempt to strategy this season as if it was a group difficult for the title, relatively than one coming off claiming its 18th NBA championship, New York now sees simply how a lot work it has to do in an effort to attain the degrees it hopes to this season.

“It is Sport 1,” Thibodeau mentioned. “We did not have that a lot time but. Nevertheless it’s early, and you bought to study from it. So our factor is get higher from this and watch movie, and I feel it was an ideal check for a group like this, who’re already up there.

“It is a good check, and we’ll study from that and attempt to construct on what we obtained to do with our habits and all the things.”