By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Ladies and gentlemen, that is how you begin an NBA championship title defense.
Minutes after receiving their respective NBA rings, the Boston Celtics quickly went back to business and scrapped the “Championship Hangover” when they obliterated the New York Knicks, 132-109, on the opening game day of the 2024-2025 regular season on October 23, 2024.
The Celtics didn’t waste any time imposing their will in front of the thousands in attendance on their home floor as they dropped 43 points in just the first 12 minutes of the ball game.
Boston played as if they never had any vacation breaks, outscoring the Knicks, 43-24, built from 10 made three-pointers off 11 assists in the opening frame.
With the way that Boston dictated the pace in the first period, the Knicks’ jet mode button was permanently turned off as they just didn’t have any answers to the surging Celtics’ offense that kept on kissing the net.
Jayson Tatum was a man on a mission as their superstar small forward already had 25 markers in just the first half, alongside six assists, three rebounds, and a steal.
Tatum’s inspired outing sparked Boston’s dominant rally, with the trio of Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, and Jrue Holiday joining the offensive party.
The offense was never the problem for New York. They scored 31 in the second period alone, equalizing Boston’s scoring production but they just failed to make some defensive stops, allowing the defending champions to generate their desired looks off kick-out three-pointers made possible by their drives.
Defensive lapses continued to hound New York in the third as Boston capped off the quarter with a 39-point burst, ballooning their lead to as much as 35 points heading into the fourth.
With things not going their way, New York head coach Tom Thibodeau threw the white towel early in the fourth and decided to move on and prepare for their next contest.
Tatum was phenomenal in his 2024-2025 season debut, spearheading Boston with 37 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, a steal, and a block, in just 30 minutes of playing time.
The versatile swingman set the tone for the Celtics in the first as he torched the retooled New York team with a quick 15-point outing.
Aside from Tatum, White, Brown, and Holiday also picked up where they left off from that championship campaign and chipped in 24, 23, and 18 points, respectively.
On the other hand, it was a disappointing start for the new-look Knicks as the addition of Karl Anthony-Towns and Mikal Bridges couldn’t steer them to an early win on the road.
Jalen Brunson had an efficient night shooting the leather with 22 points derived from 9/14 shooting from the field, but his offense alone couldn’t save New York from an opening disaster.
