The Knicks and the Celtics couldn’t have appeared extra separated once they met in Boston to open the season.
After the Celtics obtained their championship rings that October night time, they buried the retooled Knicks underneath a record-tying avalanche of 29 made 3-pointers.
Greater than half a season later, the improved Knicks had been unable to precise any payback — or pull even within the loss column with the second-seeded Celtics within the Jap Convention standings — Saturday night time with a sloppy, deflating 131-104 loss to Boston earlier than a disillusioned crowd on the Backyard.
Jalen Brunson scored a team-best 36 factors, however the Knicks fell to 34-18 total, with ahead OG Anunoby lacking his third straight recreation on account of a sprained proper foot.
Karl-Anthony Cities and Josh Hart, who each had landed on the harm report earlier than the sport with nagging knee points, and fellow starter Mikal Bridges, had largely ineffective video games because the Knicks had been outrebounded 28-18 within the first half and a whopping 48-30 total.
Cities managed a season-low 9 factors on 3-for-8 capturing in 28 minutes, whereas Hart completed minus-31 with three turnovers in 38 minutes.
Unstoppable All-Star Jayson Tatum buried seven 3-pointers and netted a game-high 40 factors, whereas Payton Pritchard contributed 25 off the bench for the Celtics (37-16), who performed with out starters Kristaps Porzingis (sickness) and Jrue Vacation (shoulder).
“They’re a tricky matchup. They’re the defending champion,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau mentioned. “They’re robust on either side of the ball. They will unfold you out. They will assault you off the dribble. They share the ball. You must be very disciplined. You might have to have the ability to make a second and third effort and be tied collectively, and typically they’ve the flexibility to make powerful pictures, and also you’ve obtained to do it time and time once more.
“Clearly, the Celtics have a wealthy historical past. The battles have been powerful over time. We all know what it means to lots of people.”
defends through the Knicks’ loss to the Celtics. Robert Sabo for New York Submit
Opening Night time meant somewhat additional for the Celtics and their hometown followers with a banner-raising ceremony at TD Backyard adopted by a 132-109 thrashing of the Knicks on Oct. 22, with the 29 Boston 3-pointers spoiling the Knicks debuts of Cities and Bridges.
Tatum scored the primary 5 factors of Saturday’s recreation on a driving dunk and Boston’s first of 19 3-pointers, whereas the Knicks clanked their first 10 pictures to path 12-2 earlier than 5 minutes had elapsed.
Bridges (11 factors 5-for-15) lastly nailed a brief jumper for the Knicks’ first discipline aim with 6:56 to go within the quarter, however one other Tatum trey helped push the Celtics cushion to 17 late within the interval.
The Knicks transformed simply six of 23 pictures within the opening 12 minutes, they usually trailed 30-19 getting into the second quarter.
Cities, who had been downgraded to questionable earlier within the day on account of a recurrent knee subject, drained his second 3-pointer to shut the hole to single digits.
However Pritchard netted 5 straight factors and two extra Tatum triples made for an 18-point recreation practically halfway via the interval.
Even with Brunson’s 18 first-half factors — together with 11-for-11 from the free-throw line — Tatum managed 16 for the Celtics, and the Knicks nonetheless had been behind by 13 (61-48) at intermission.
Nonetheless, the Knicks initially responded after Thibodeau went with Miles McBride rather than Treasured Achiuwa to open the second half.
Brunson pumped in eight factors, Cities threw down a one-handed stuff and Bridges knocked down a right-side 3 throughout a 19-9 Knicks spurt to open the third to shut inside three.
However the Celtics managed 19 of the following 22 factors, together with three free throws after a McBride foul and two 3-pointers by Derrick White (17 factors) to enter the ultimate interval with a 96-76 benefit.