Knicks Fall to 0-2 After Close Loss to Celtics
Jayson Tatum's late-game surge propelled the Celtics to a 107-103 victory over the Knicks, who struggled offensively and fell to an 0-2 start.
The New York Knicks began their title defense with two consecutive losses, falling to the Boston Celtics 107-103 on Friday night. The Knicks could not overcome a strong performance from Jayson Tatum, who scored nine of his 36 points in the final six minutes to secure the win for Boston.
The Knicks struggled offensively throughout the game, trailing for most of the second half. Jalen Brunson shot 7-of-17 from the field in 37 minutes. Mikal Bridges had a particularly difficult night, finishing scoreless on 0-of-8 shooting and being benched for the final 8 ½ minutes. Deuce McBride provided a spark off the bench for the Knicks, scoring 20 points.
New York managed to cut the deficit to one point with 1:41 remaining on a pull-up jumper by Brunson. However, Tatum responded with seven straight points for the Celtics, and a costly turnover on a moving screen by Karl-Anthony Towns sealed the Knicks' fate.
The loss dropped the Knicks to an 0-2 record to start their season, following an opening night defeat.