Celtics will reportedly host Knicks to tip off 2024-25 NBA season

BOSTON — After the Boston Celtics raise their banner and collect their championship rings on Opening Night, everyone will be looking to knock off the defending champs. The new-look New York Knicks will get the first crack.

The Celtics will tip off the 2024-25 NBA season on October 22 with a tilt against the Knicks, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Monday afternoon. The two Atlantic Division rivals met on Opening Night last season as well, with Boston winning 108-104 at Madison Square Garden.

That was the first of Boston’s 64 wins during the regular season, and first of four in five matchups with New York. The Celtics’ average margin of victory in those wins was 11 points, with the two teams getting an extra regular-season meeting after they were eliminated from the inaugural In-Season Tournament. The Knicks won the final Boston-New York matchup of the season, 118-109, when there were only three games left in the regular season.

It looked like Celtics and Knicks would meet up in the Eastern Conference Finals, but New York lost Game 7 of the East semis to the Indiana Pacers, 130-109, at Madison Square Garden. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and company went on to sweep the Pacers, before beating the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals in five games to claim the franchise’s 18th NBA championship.

The Knicks will now have to watch the Celtics collect their championship rings and raise another banner to the TD Garden rafters ahead of Opening Night. New York figures to be Boston’s main competition in the Eastern Conference this season, after the Knicks acquired Mikal Bridges via trade in the offseason to join newly minted captain Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Julius Randle on Tom Thibodeau’s squad.

The full 2024-25 NBA season is expected to be released within in next few weeks. It was reported last week that the Celtics will host the Philadelphia 76ers on Christmas Day.