The season started off with a bang in New York!
It took two extra time to tie Knicks and Celtics Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, but with a big duo Julius Randle (35 points at 12/27, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 blocks) – Evan Fournier (32 points – including 9 in overtime – at 13/25 including 6/13 at 3-points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals), it was the locals who won on the score of 138-134 !
Celtics side Jaylen Brown slap 46 points (16/30, 9 rebounds, 6 assists) entry and Jayson Tatum despite an evening to be forgotten as a whole (20 points to 7/30, 11 rebounds, 4 assists) returned an important 2 + 1 to put his team in front of 134-133 at 1’05 from the end.
Under the minute and served by Derrick Rose, Fournier returned his 4th 3-point extra-time shot for the +2, 136-134. Tatum missed a layup behind and Rose definitely killed the game with 2 points scored at 22 seconds for the +4. Brown, Dennis Schröder and Tatum (on the offensive rebound both times) successively missed their chance 3-points behind.
It is Marcus Smart, open, which had initially sent the two teams into overtime with a successful 3-point 1 second from the buzzer. The first OT saw the two teams fail to score during the last 2’58 of the period, after a 3-point from Tatum at 2’58 to equalize.
Six Knicks players (including R.J. Barrett, who scored 19 points after half-time or Obi Toppin who broke his personal record with 14 units) – led 35-29 after a quarter then 58-54 at the break before dominating the 3rd quarter 35-24) finished at least 10 points. Fournier returned three 3-point shots on the first 1’20 of the first overtime. Kemba Walker finished 10 points at 3/8, 8 rebounds and 3 assists against his former team.
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