Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porziņģis Amaze Fans as Celtics Rally Past Barrett, Knicks

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New-look Boston Celtics, same old Jayson Tatum.

The Celtics superstar got the 2023-24 season off to a high note, leading his team to a 108-104 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night, putting up 34 points and 11 rebounds.

While he paced the Celtics, new teammate Kristaps Porziņģis (30 points, eight rebounds, four blocks) was excellent in front of the Madison Square Garden fans that once cheered him on.

That pair had pundits and fans alike absolutely buzzing after the game:

While KP went off, the team’s other major offseason acquisition, Jrue Holiday, had a more muted debut (nine points, two assists). Jaylen Brown was also uncharacteristically quiet, finishing with 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field, a reminder that star-studded lineups often take time to jell.

Both RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley had 24 points for the Knicks.

While Tatum and Porziņģis were the major difference in the win, the charity stripe also favored Boston, which made 22-of-26 attempts from the line. The Knicks, meanwhile, finished a woeful 14-of-26 from the free-throw line, leaving crucial points on the board.

But the partnership between Tatum and Porziņģis will be the primary storyline after the season-opening win, with the struggles of Brown sure to earn some headlines as well. How this roster will come together has already been a major point of curiosity, with Al Horford coming off the bench in Game 1 and Holiday clearly looking like the No. 4 option on offense.

The team’s depth is also a concern, as the bench accounted for just 12 points on just 4-of-13 shooting from the field.

There are some kinks to be ironed out in Boston, in other words. But Tatum and Porziņģis smoothed over the rough patches on night one.