Featured Columnist IVOctober 23, 2024
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE by way of Getty Photos
The Boston Celtics are nonetheless good at basketball.
The reigning NBA champions did not simply choose up the place they left off in Tuesday’s season opener in opposition to the New York Knicks. They went out and tied an NBA report within the course of on the way in which to a 132-109 victory.
Al Horford’s three-pointer within the fourth quarter gave Boston 29 made triples within the sport, which tied the NBA report. The Milwaukee Bucks additionally hit 29 three-pointers throughout a victory over the Miami Warmth in December 2020.
The perimeter barrage began instantly.
Jayson Tatum launched a three-pointer on the primary possession of the season, and it discovered the underside of the online. It was the primary of 10 three-pointers within the opening quarter alone because the Celtics jumped out to a commanding 43-24 lead and by no means regarded again.
All that was left to resolve was whether or not the house group would set the report, and it paradoxically went ice chilly down the stretch with 13 missed three-pointers in a row after hitting 29.
Jaylen Brown informed reporters after the sport that it was just like the Celtics “received jinxed or one thing” whereas making an attempt to go for the report.
Noa Dalzell 🏀 @NoaDalzell
Jaylen Brown on the three level report:
“It was nearly like we received jinxed or one thing. After we have been enjoying, having enjoyable, enjoying our fashion of basketball, all the pieces was getting in. As soon as the group received into it, and we began looking them, we could not hit the intense aspect of the barn.” pic.twitter.com/s3XqqV1EfS
Whereas the Knicks have been those who made loads of offseason headlines by buying and selling for Karl-Anthony Cities, Tuesday’s efficiency was a reminder to New York and the remainder of the NBA that Boston continues to be the group to beat.
Tatum was a superb 8-of-11 from three-point vary on his strategy to 37 factors. All 5 starters linked on a minimum of three pictures from past the arc with Brown hitting 5 and Derrick White making six.
Maybe the scariest factor is the fact the Celtics are solely going to get higher when Kristaps Porziņģis returns from his foot damage.
Porziņģis is a nightmare matchup for opposing frontcourts due to his personal means to shoot from three-point vary, which helps him work in pick-and-pops and reap the benefits of the spacing that comes with enjoying alongside Tatum and Brown. Had he performed Tuesday, the Celtics could have damaged the report as a substitute of simply tying it.
Subsequent up for the Celtics is a highway sport in opposition to the Washington Wizards on Thursday, and they’re going to look to maintain rolling after a dominant exhibiting.
