NEW YORK — Jaylen Brown entered Friday night time’s matchup at Madison Sq. Backyard with a bit of additional motivation.
He remembered, after all, what occurred in that constructing 5 months earlier, when his Celtics misplaced Jayson Tatum to a ruptured Achilles after which, 4 days later, their bid for back-to-back championships in a 38-point Sport 6 loss to the New York Knicks.
“Completely,” Brown mentioned hours earlier than tipoff. “Tonight ought to be a enjoyable one.”
Sadly for Boston, that enjoyable was short-lived.
The 2025-26 Celtics hardly resemble the crew that was upset in final season’s Japanese Convention semifinals, and so they couldn’t maintain tempo with a Knicks squad anticipated to problem for the No. 1 seed, dropping 105-95 to fall to 0-2.
Brown’s 23 factors within the loss have been offset by his 5 fouls and 7 turnovers. Derrick White continued to battle as a shooter, going 5-for-18 and 3-for-11 from 3-point vary. Payton Pritchard (eight factors, six assists, 5 rebounds) didn’t make his first area aim till the third quarter.
The brilliant spots for the Celtics: rookie Hugo Gonzalez, whose hustle was evident in his first style of NBA motion, and veteran large man Chris Boucher, who notched 4 blocks and one steal in quarter-hour. Sam Hauser was their best shooter (18 factors, 6-for-10 from 3-point vary) however completed as a minus-14.
The remainder of the Celtics’ roster shot 9-for-34 from deep (26.5%). That, coupled with one other tough displaying on the offensive glass, prevented Boston from capitalizing on a poor capturing night time by New York (38.4% general).
The Celtics really outscored the Knicks in three of the 4 quarters however couldn’t overcome a nightmare second body, which New York gained 42-14 to take a 20-point halftime lead they by no means relinquished.
Head coach Joe Mazzula, who’s main a roster that options three new starters and an overhauled bench, noticed incremental enchancment from his crew. Friday’s loss was a stronger all-around efficiency, he mentioned, than Wednesday’s season-opening 117-116 loss to a shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers squad.
“We’re 12 minutes nearer,” Mazzulla mentioned postgame. “We did it for 12 minutes final sport, and I believed we did it for 20 to 24 at present. So 12 minutes nearer. That’s what we have now to determine, and I informed the fellows: There are groups that may ease into the season, there are groups that may do this, however we have now to have a way of urgency to growing the id that we’d like. And I believed they confirmed that within the second half.”
Issues began competitively sufficient for Boston.
Main 16-14 on the sport’s first timeout, Mazzulla executed a full line change, swapping out his starters for Gonzalez, Boucher, Anfernee Simons, Baylor Scheierman and Xavier Tillman. It was the season debut for second-year professional Scheierman and the NBA debut for the 19-year-old Gonzalez, who flashed potential throughout the preseason however didn’t see the ground in Wednesday’s opener.
The rookie’s first task: guarding second-team All-NBA level guard Jalen Brunson. Gonzalez fouled Brunson as soon as however in any other case held up respectably in opposition to the Knicks star in his maiden shift. Boston outscored New York by seven over Gonzalez’s first six minutes – with Boucher additionally blocking two pictures and Tillman hitting his first 3-pointer of the season throughout that stretch – and led 30-22 on the finish of the primary quarter.
Jordan Walsh’s first minutes of the younger season have been shakier. The Knicks went on the third-year wing a number of occasions throughout an 11-0 New York run, and Mazzulla known as Walsh again to the bench after lower than two minutes.
That Knicks flurry kicked off a really dreadful second quarter for the Celtics, who additionally surrendered runs of 12-0 and 17-0 whereas being outplayed in practically each side.
A look on the halftime scoresheet confirmed New York holding huge edges in turnovers pressured (10-4), offensive rebounds (12-4), factors off turnovers (18-8) and second-chance factors (14-2). The Knicks additionally held a Celtics offense that hopes to push the tempo this season to zero fast-break factors within the first half whereas scoring 16 of their very own.
Boston entered the second half trailing 64-44, having surrendered a 42-point quarter for the second time in two video games.
The Celtics confirmed some life to open the third quarter, ripping off an 8-0 run fueled by two Hauser 3-pointers. However the Knicks responded with threes by Miles McBride, Brunson, Brunson once more and Mikal Bridges on consecutive possessions to shortly rebuild their lead.
Down 82-65 coming into the fourth, Boston acquired to inside 10 with six minutes remaining whereas upping its defensive strain. Mazzulla additionally despatched out one in all his smallest potential lineups throughout the comeback bid, taking part in one stretch with 5 gamers 6-foot-7 or shorter (White, Pritchard, Gonzalez, Hauser and Brown).
That the Celtics trusted Gonzalez in that scenario spoke volumes in regards to the younger Spaniard, who was a teenage bench participant for Actual Madrid earlier than Boston chosen him with the twenty eighth general choose within the 2025 NBA Draft. Gonzalez completed with six factors, 4 rebounds, one help, two steals and no turnovers, and he was a team-best plus-7 in his 23 minutes, 16 of which got here after halftime.
Gonzalez pushed again on the concept that this was a powerful defensive efficiency — Brunson, he famous, nonetheless completed with a game-high 31 factors — however his teammates have been fast to reward the Celtics’ youngest participant.
“He was superior,” Hauser mentioned. “A bunch of deflections, performed actually onerous, performed nice protection, rebounding the ball, ran in transition. For a rookie to step right into a place like that on a giant stage in Madison Sq. Backyard, it’s fairly cool to see. We’re blissful for him, and he’s going to need to proceed to try this for us to seek out minutes and in addition assist positively influence the crew.”
Boston acquired to inside single digits late however couldn’t shut the hole, with New York’s seven fourth-quarter offensive rebounds taking part in a key function. The Knicks’ 21 whole offensive boards have been greater than the Celtics — who’re particularly lean within the frontcourt after dropping Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet this summer time — allowed in any sport final season.
“These rebounds,” Brown lamented. “We’ve acquired to determine methods to provide you with these. We’ve acquired to get just a little bit extra nasty on the glass. I feel that was a deflator for us. Each time we went on a run once we have been coming again, the offensive rebounds. So we’ve acquired to learn how to be extra constant in that method.”
Different observations:
— The Celtics caught with the identical beginning lineup as opening night time, sending out White, Pritchard, Brown, Hauser and Neemias Queta. Mazzulla has mentioned that grouping might change extra steadily this season, but it surely’s remained intact so far.
— Mazzulla additionally has mentioned he may not decide on an outlined rotation all season, and his bench utilization did look markedly completely different Friday night time. Along with Gonzalez, Scheierman and Walsh seeing their first minutes of the season, Josh Minott was a shock DNP-CD.
Minott was one in all Boston’s prime preseason performers and one in all Mazzulla’s first subs in opposition to Philadelphia. He remained sidelined even after Mazzulla emptied his bench within the ultimate minute, reinserting Scheierman and Walsh and giving two-way rookie Amari Williams his first professional minutes.
— Reserve large man Luka Garza missed the sport after struggling a concussion in Wednesday’s season opener. Mazzulla didn’t provide an replace on Garza’s standing, however he did journey with the crew to New York as Boston started a three-game highway journey. We’ll see if he’s capable of return Sunday in Detroit or Monday in New Orleans.
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