Three days after his worst performance in Detroit, Jayson Tatum redeemed himself against the defending champions. The Boston Celtics small forward scored 36 points on 14-of-26 shooting with 9 rebounds and 7 assists, sealing the victory over the New York Knicks (103-107) at TD Garden. With the win, the Celtics bounce back from their opening-night collapse, while the Knicks remain winless on the season.
https://youtu.be/d97pEIqI2TM?si=rsuloj_1S4e_qt8e
Third Quarter Breakaway
The game remained tight throughout the first half, with twelve lead changes and the teams heading into halftime separated by just one point (49-50). The Celtics broke the deadlock in the third quarter, winning it 24-33 with Tatum leading the way, and built a 12-point lead in the fourth (82-94). Al Horford, with 15 points and 6 rebounds, and Paul George, with 15, supported the small forward.
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Tatum Halts Knicks' Comeback
The Knicks refused to quit. A 7-0 run brought them within five (89-94) and, with three-pointers from Miles McBride, who hit 6 of 8, they pulled within one with 1:41 remaining (98-99). That's when Tatum took over: a mid-range jumper off the dribble, another shot with 50 seconds left, and a three-pointer with 30 seconds that made it 100-106. McBride answered with another three (103-106), but Jalen Brunson missed two free throws with 3.6 seconds remaining and OG Anunoby's buzzer-beating three-pointer fell short.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Anunoby recorded 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists. Mikal Bridges went scoreless on 0-of-8 shooting. Hugo González played 3 minutes and 35 seconds in the first quarter, during which he assisted Sam Hauser on a three-pointer.