New season, same ol' dominant Celtics

Jayson Tatum led a 3-point barrage by the Boston Celtics who connected on a franchise-record 29 made 3-pointers in easily defeating New York in their season opener.

Jayson Tatum delivered the first salvo in Boston’s quest to repeat as NBA champions, with a dominant showing against New York in the season-opener on Tuesday night. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

BOSTON — The fact that no NBA team in nearly a decade has been able to repeat as NBA champion speaks to how difficult pulling off back-to-back titles can be.

But if you had to draw up what the first step towards repeating would look like, what the Boston Celtics did to the New York Knicks on Tuesday night … that’s it.

Boston raised Banner 18 on Tuesday night and by dismantling the Knicks, raised expectations that the back-to-back title drought may come to an end this season.

Because the Celtics did more than just win their season opener convincingly over the Knicks 132-109; they delivered the kind of opening salvo that there will be no championship hangover for this team looking to continue its quest to be among the greatest teams ever.

The night began like so many other nights for teams that won NBA titles the season prior.

There was the usual pomp and circumstance as NBA royalty - Commissioner Adam Silver and Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, for example - made their way to the TD Garden.

The night featured Boston’s basketball greats of the past, too.

Bob Cousy, the iconic playmaker who is still going strong at 96 years young, was at the game. So was the Big Three from the prior banner-raising Green Team, led by Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett.

And while the adulation for this current incarnation of Celtics greats harkens back to not-so-distant memories of being atop the NBA mountaintop last June, the Celtics players knew the need to pivot quickly would be required to beat a Knicks team that underwent a major overhaul this summer designed to better compete with Boston.

It didn’t work.

Boston’s ability to pivot from the highs of success to the grind of building on it was among the many superpowers the Celtics put on display often last season in winning the franchise’s 18th NBA title, more than any other franchise in league history.

And while this is indeed a new season, the Celtics reminded all why they are seen as the prohibitive favorite to repeat as champions which hasn’t been done since the 2017-2018 Golden State Warriors.

Boston finished Tuesday’s game with a franchise-record 29 made 3-pointers, a fitting start considering the 3-point shot was their weapon of choice most of last season.

Jayson Tatum led the 3-point barrage with a game-high 37 points which included 8-for-11 shooting from 3-point range.

Tatum, whose shot mechanics were an issue at times last season, delivered the kind of performance to show the work he put into improving his shot-making was not in vain.

He would finish with the first of what’s likely to be many double-doubles this season, tallying 10 assists and four rebounds to go with his 37 points.

Boston also got strong scoring games from Derrick White and Jaylen Brown who had 24 and 23 points, respectively.

New York spent the offseason bolstering its roster with several additions, none bigger than All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns.

Towns (12 points, seven rebounds) had a solid game, as well as teammate Jalen Brunson (team-high 22 points).

But their play as well as the play of the Knicks as a whole, would serve as a reminder as to why the Celtics are such an overwhelming favorite to repeat as NBA champions.

New York shot 55.1% from the field, better than 36% from 3-point range, and only turned the ball over 11 times all game.

Those are the kind of stats that on most nights, would end in a New York victory.

And yet they still found themselves trailing by as many as 35 points, the kind of deficit that just doesn’t add up when you consider how statistically speaking, they had played.

That’s just it, though.

Good against the Celtics is not only not good enough to beat them. But more games than not, it won’t even allow you to compete.

That’s what makes Boston’s season-opening win so impressive.

This was supposed to be the one game where Boston’s even-keeled state of being, would be off the mark. The usual pre-game routines and rituals that they normally do to get focused, would be put to the side because of the pre-game ring ceremony that took place just minutes before tip-off.

Rather than a distraction, it seemed to make this team dig even deeper into its bag to come up with one of the more dominant opening night performances we’ve seen in recent years by an NBA champion.

A year ago, the promotional motto for this team was that things are, “Different Here.”

Judging by the way they handled the Knicks on opening night, some things remain very much the same with this team.

And that is not good news for the rest of the NBA.