Tapped Out; New York Knicks' Opening Night Comeback Falls Short Thanks to Boston Celtics, Kristaps Porzingis
After he was booed by New York Knicks fans when the team chose him with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Kristaps Porzingis rewrote his metropolitan narrative with some electrifying efforts at Madison Square Garden.
Another Manhattan masterpiece rebooted the boo birds.
Now playing for one of the Knicks' biggest rivals, Porzingis began his Boston Celtics career in style with dominant bookends in a 108-104 victory at MSG, which hosted the 2023-24 season opener for both sides on Wednesday night. With 30 points, all but four coming in the first and final periods, Porzingis set a new Boston record for most points in a green debut. Jayson Tatum led the way by pairing 34 points with 11 rebounds.
With 24 points each, RJ Barrett shared the Knicks' scoring lead with Immanuel Quickley, who put up a sterling shooting night (7-of-11, 5-of-7 from three) in the aftermath of contract negotiations that failed to yield a long-term deal in New York. The Knicks' stars were dimmed on opening night as Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle shot a combined 11-of-43 from the floor.
Boston (1-0) flexed its newfound might in the early going: Porzingis scored half of the team's 30-point output in the opening period while Jrue Holiday's defense picked up where the departed Marcus Smart left off. The strong defensive output made Brunson and Randle uncomfortable early on and the Knicks scored just 18 over the opening dozen.
Barrett and Quickley's joint efforts helped slice into Boston's lead that reached as high as 12. Following a brief tie in the third, New York (0-1) took its first lead of the night in the early stages of the fourth through a Josh Hart triple that got the Garden believing.
Momentum seemed to permanently stand on the Knicks' side when consecutive threes from Randle and Quentin Grimes put them up six with just over four minutes remaining. The Knicks began the period on a 13-2 run that climaxed in Hart's effort from deep, ironically sent to him from the arms of fellow Villanova newcomer Donte DiVincenzo.
Kristaps Porzingis (8) makes Wednesday's opening tip-off against Mitchell Robinson
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But Porzingis had a literal parting gift for his former team: perhaps fueled by chants of "Overrated" from the Garden faithful, a declaration made shortly after the Latvian star was charged with a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul for flopping, Porzingis scored nine of the Celtics' finals points during a 15-5 run over the last 4:10.
Of that tally, only three points came from beyond the foul line, a shot from beyond the arc that gave Boston the lead for good with 1:29 remaining. The perfect 6-of-6 output from the line was a stark contrast to the Knicks' final ledger: though New York shot a respectable 18-of-41 from deep, they were a mere 54 percent successful from the foul line, including a particularly ugly 1-of-5 output from Randle.
Despite the loss, Wednesday's game might've hinted at a rare New York advantage in the coming series between the two teams: having bid farewell to several depth stars in the name of adding elite talents like Holiday and Porzingis (i.e. Robert Williams, reigning Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon), the Celtics' bench was left relatively meager and that depth nearly cost them in Manhattan.
New York's bench undoubtedly stood as the most prominent positive takeaway: in addition to Quickley outscoring Boston's bench on his own, Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein combined for 14 rebounds. DiVincenzo failed to score in his Knicks debut but the team was a plus-five on the scoreboard when he was on the floor. It may be something to monitor as New York and Boston work through a four-game set, with part two scheduled for Nov. 13 in Beantown.
The Knicks will now embark on an early three-game road trip, one that begins on Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).
