Four Quick Takeaways From 2024 Celtics Banner-Raising Celebration Victory

BOSTON — The Celtics returned to a confetti-cleared parquet floor and got right back to work with the New York Knicks in town on Tuesday night.

Following an unforgettable banner-raising at TD Garden, it became business as usual for Boston. The Celtics stiff-armed the Knicks, whose largest lead of one point, didn’t last beyond the first quarter. Boston shamed New York’s improved roster and did a tremendous job in bringing head coach Joe Mazzulla’s new year, new stakes mindset to life. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown took the life out of the Knicks and turned a celebratory night into a bold four-quarter-long statement.

Here are four takeaways from Boston’s 132-109 victory:

Boston’s ring ceremony should inspire Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
The road to championship glory required a lot of lows for the Tatum-Brown duo, including three defeats in the Eastern Conference finals, plus a Finals loss in 2022. Yet, as the old saying goes, the past is the past.

“Let’s do it again,” Tatum told the roaring Celtics crowd before tip-off.

Legends of the past, such as Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Bob Cousy, paid their respects by attending the pregame ceremony. Tatum and Brown are officially members of that exclusive tier of Celtics greats, and to make their situation even better, the homegrown tandem can elevate the franchise and catapult a dynasty run. Very few in league history have achieved that level of greatness but the opportunity is in place.

New-look Knicks or new-problem Knicks?
Julius Randle is gone and Karl-Anthony Towns is the newest big name in the Big Apple.

It’s way too early, but judging from the first of 82 games it looks like New York’s front office might’ve over-polished its roster. Randle was the heart and captain of the gritty dirt dog Knicks’ identity. He was fearless and strong and played with an always-charged motor. Towns, while elite, doesn’t measure up to that in-your-face presence.

Towns, at times, looked out of place with New York’s offense, finishing with a quiet 12 points and seven rebounds to make for a modest debut.

New York, however, couldn’t keep up with Boston. The Celtics ran circles around the Knicks, scoring 74 points in the first half on 55.1% shooting from the field. It was a classic Varsity beatdown of the little brother JV squad with Boston infusing a strong early confidence boost and preview of what the NBA is going up against.

Genius Joe Mazzulla still loves the three — and that’s just fine
There’s a roof — plus 18 championship banners — atop TD Garden, but that couldn’t stop the Celtics from casting a dark cloud above the Knicks before pouring a 3-point storm too much for New York to work its way around.

Boston nearly snagged the NBA record for threes made (29) in a game, but instead settled for matching the record — set by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020. Regardless of how many timeouts or adjustments New York threw at the wall, there was nothing the Knicks could do to keep up with the more dominant Celtics. If anything, Boston humbled New York’s offseason rather quickly.

“I just looked and said, ‘They got better,'” Mazzulla said pregame of New York’s offseason. “… I think it was June 28 when they made the trade (for Mikal Bridges). So when you see that you’re like, ‘Damn, your enemy’s gotten better. So what are you gonna do about it?’ They made trades to get better. We believe in the roster that we have and it’s about us finding internal ways to get better every day.”

Jayson Tatum sent quick (inadvertent) message to offseason disrespect
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr might be shivering beneath his bed sheets after watching Tatum put on a clinic to start the year.

Tatum was snubbed while with USA Basketball throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics, providing an obvious avenue for motivation. And even if Tatum doesn’t acknowledge Kerr and Team USA as a source of fuel, the five-time All-Star performed as if a chip sat above his shoulder. He scored a game-leading 37 points to go along with four rebounds and 10 assists to finish the night with a double-double.

Kerr and Golden State ought to consider themselves warned. They’ll meet Tatum in Boston on Nov. 6, the first of two matchups this season.