Dennis Schröder lost his first game with the Boston Celtics. At the New York Knicks, the Celts conceded a 134-138 defeat after double overtime in a gripping game, although Jaylen Brown set a new career record.
New York Knicks (1-0) – Boston Celtics (0-1) 138:134 OT (BOXSCORE)
The all-star of the Celtics was early on his way to career high with 25 points in the first half, but was initially defended much better in the second half. At the end of the regular season, however, he thawed again and met, among other things, a crazy three from the Knicks logo, which made the first extension possible. In the end he got an outstanding 46 points (16/30 FG, 8/14 threesome), and yet it was not enough.
Brown was still out of the preseason due to a COVID infection and noticed the aftermath: “My breath felt irregular, but most of the time it was okay,” Brown said. “In the end, I felt my heart pound through my chest – the adrenaline took over.”
An all-star also stood out among the hosts: Julius Randle scored 35 points and, as in the previous season, shone with his shot and playmaking (12/27 FG, 9 assists). He received energetic support from Evan Fournier (32 points), who terrorized his ex-team especially in the extensions, RJ Barrett (19) and Obi Toppin (14).
Kemba Walker showed an inconspicuous performance (10 points) on his debut for New York and was nevertheless happy to be “at home” again in Madison Square Garden: “The energy here is like nothing,” said Walker.
At the Celtics, Brown received too little support from his All-Star colleague: Jayson Tatum hardly hit anything (20 points, 10 rebounds, but 7/29 FG and 2/14 threesomes). Robert Williams (16, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks), Grant Williams and Marcus Smart (15 each) helped, but it wasn’t enough, especially as Dennis Schröder didn’t make a very good debut either.
The Braunschweiger came off the bench and scored 12 points (5/16 FG), plus a good 8 assists with only 2 ball losses. However, Schröder left an open layup in the second overtime and looked unhappy defensively at one point or another.
Jaylen Brown starts hot against the Knicks
The Knicks got an 8-0 lightning start over the first two minutes, but Boston quickly recovered and took control after not too long. This was due in particular to Brown, who already marked 20 points in the first quarter (7/9 FG!) And thus led a Celtics team that was especially hot from downtown (6/9 threesome). Randle dug up on the other side to 11 points, after an entertaining first quarter it was 35:29 for Boston.
The guests initially threatened to break away, but lost their rhythm without Brown on the court. Randle, however, got stronger and stronger and led a 14-0 run, his physique presented Boston with massive problems. Fournier dunked the Knicks lead before Schröder scored his first points as Celtic by layup and the game equalized again. Then the previously weak Tatum finally hit two litters, Boston entered the half-time break at 58:54.
In the third quarter, the curtsey was on the trigger. Boston managed to stage Brown far less often, the game was often jittery, and ball losses increased. Again and again the Knicks used these to transition points, especially Obi Toppin and Barrett, who scored 14 points in the last six minutes of the quarter, found their way into the game. It was Barrett who gave his team the lead with a threesome, which they then expanded to 10 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
Derrick Rose puts the finishing touch on an incredible closing phase
The game seemed already decided, but Boston was there again in the closing minutes: The Celtics forced turnover, Grant (15) and Robert Williams (14) came to conclusions, it was an 8-0 run and 11.5 seconds before In the end, the Knicks were only 112: 110 after free throws from Time Lord. Fournier hit a layup, but 9 seconds remained, after the following Celtics break, Brown put in a very deep threesome. With 4.8 seconds on the clock, Randle hit two free throws that the Knicks could have fouled, but did not, and watched as Schröder served Smart, who sent the game from the three-point line into overtime.
In the overtime, the crazy shotmaking continued, both teams hit their first four litters. 20 seconds before the end, the Celtics had the ball after a Randle miss in a tie and were able to play the clock. Tatum went into isolation, but put his jumper far off – it needed another extension. In OT2 there was no more shotmaking – in the truest sense of the word. Brown hit a threesome, after which Schröder laid a layup and Brown himself put a completely open dunk on the ring.
In the final minute it was Fournier again who brought the Knicks into the lead with a three, then Derrick Rose increased it to +4 with a floater over the board. 22 seconds remained, and in fact Brown, Tatum and Schröder all had fairly open options from downtown. They all missed, however, and in the end the Knicks won one of the wildest season openers in NBA history.
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