Boston Celtics dominate NY Knicks to launch NBA title defence

BOSTON – Boston Celtics made a spectacular start to their National Basketball Association (NBA) title defence, registering a joint-record 29 three-pointers as Jayson Tatum scored 37 points in their emphatic 132-109 defeat of the New York Knicks on Oct 22.

After a triumphant pre-game ceremony that saw Boston celebrate raising their record-breaking 18th championship banner, the Celtics delivered a performance that suggested they could well be the team to beat once more.

A devastating 43-point first quarter put Boston in complete control during the first half, with Tatum producing an electric shooting performance to pour in 18 points from three-point range over the two quarters.

Tatum had brought the house down in a pre-game address to a packed TD Garden, signalling the Celtics’ determination to win back-to-back championships and he was pleased with the way the team then got right down to business.

“I’m really proud of the way we played. Tonight was emotional – a celebration of what we accomplished last year,” said the 26-year-old forward.

“For a lot of us, that was our first experience getting a ring and raising the banner. So tonight was special. To kind of have to reset and go try to win a basketball game against a really good team…the way that we just came out and responded and played the right way.”

Boston powered to last season’s NBA championship after winning 64 games in the regular season before dropping just three games in the play-offs, sealing victory with a 4-1 rout of the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.

That win came after years of frustrating post-season disappointments, which included a 4-2 defeat by the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals and an agonizing 4-3 loss to the Miami Heat in the 2023 Western Conference Finals.

The Celtics have retained the core of the team from last season’s roster and look well-positioned to mount a serious defence of their title.

Against New York, Joe Mazzulla’s team picked up where they had left off in June, with all of their heavy-hitters coming up big to leave the Knicks chasing the game for long periods.

Four of the their five starters – Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday – posted double-digit points tallies before half-time, helping the team take a commanding 74-55 lead into the break.

Although the Knicks had enjoyed parity in a 31-31 second quarter, Boston were in no mood to let their advantage slip after the break, coasting home to close out the win.

Tatum finished with 10 assists and four rebounds in addition to his 37 points, with White adding 24 points and Brown 23. Holiday added 18, while Al Horford, who produced Boston’s 29th trey, chipped in with 11. The Celtics’ previous franchise record for made three-pointers in a game was 27, which came against the Knicks on Nov 5, 2022.

On Oct 22, they tied the NBA record with the Milwaukee Bucks, who set the mark in their 144-97 romp over the Miami Heat on Dec 29, 2020.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks scoring with 22 points, alongside Miles McBride with 22 from the bench. Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points and seven rebounds in his debut for the Knicks, and Mikal Bridges added 16 points. Josh Hart put up 12 points, and Cameron Payne had 11.

Meanwhile, the NBA said on Oct 22 the league is in talks with world basketball governing body Fiba over a possible investment in Europe, believing there is an “untapped opportunity” to grow the game in the region.

NBA deputy-commissioner Mark Tatum told international media on a conference call ahead of the new NBA season that discussions with officials in Europe were ongoing, but emphasised talks on investment were at a preliminary stage.

“There’s no doubt that there is an opportunity for the game of basketball to continue to grow in Europe. What we’re focused on is really working with Fiba and our partners in Europe to tap into this untapped opportunity to further grow the game of basketball there,” Mark Tatum said.

“And how can we make investments in the European basketball ecosystem? What is a potential operating model? What could that look like? So I’d say it’s still early in the conversations, but we are having conversations with our partner Fiba.” AFP, REUTERS