Knicks and Celtics Both Desperate at TD Garden on Opening Weekend
Two teams that dropped their openers meet Friday night at TD Garden, and neither can afford to fall to 0-2 this early. There's no model read to lean on tonight — this one you'll have to watch unfold yourself.
Both the Knicks (0-1) and the Celtics (0-1) arrive at TD Garden with something to prove, which makes this a genuinely interesting early-season collision. Losing your first game of the year isn't a crisis, but losing two straight before the calendar even turns to November has a way of setting an uncomfortable tone. Boston gets the home crowd, and New York will need to be sharp on the road to flip the script.
The player to watch on the Celtics side is Paul George, who is averaging a jaw-dropping 38.0 points per game to open the season. That number is not a typo, and if he's anywhere near that form tonight, the Knicks' defense has a serious problem on its hands. Jayson Tatum, meanwhile, is distributing at 11.0 assists per game — a playmaking pace that suggests Boston's offense is running through him as an initiator rather than a pure scorer. Jordan Walsh leads the Celtics in rebounds at 6.0 per game. For New York, Jalen Brunson is expected to be the offensive engine, coming in at 21.0 points per game. The Knicks' most versatile contributor through one game has been Andre Drummond, who is averaging 14.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game — a combination that gives New York a physical anchor on both ends.
Honestly, the George-versus-Brunson dynamic is the matchup that will define this game. George's scoring volume is at a level that demands constant attention, while Brunson's ability to create and sustain offensive possessions keeps the Knicks competitive in any environment. Drummond's rebounding edge could matter enormously if this game tightens in the fourth quarter — second-chance points have a way of deciding close games between evenly matched teams. Our model doesn't have a read on this one tonight, so take that as your cue to just watch the basketball. Tip-off is at 7:00 PM ET on Prime Video.