Jayson Tatum Answers Rough Celtics Opener With Clutch Performance Against Knicks
After a difficult season debut, Tatum delivered 36 points and the biggest shots of the night to help Boston earn its first win.
Jayson Tatum delivered a clutch performance to help the Boston Celtics secure a hard-fought 107-103 victory against the defending NBA champions, the New York Knicks, in a season opener that began poorly. After a rough performance in the first matchup against Detroit, Tatum responded with 36 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists on Friday night.
The star forward took control after halftime, adding 16 points in the third quarter as Boston built a 83-73 lead heading into the fourth. With 1:41 remaining, New York narrowed the gap, but Tatum answered with a clutch fallaway jumper to force overtime. The Celtics' opener against Detroit ended with them surrendering a 22-point lead, but Friday's contest provided a different kind of challenge as the Celtics had to make key plays late to keep the Knicks from taking the game away.
While one win does not erase the questions raised by the opener, Tatum's performance provided an encouraging sign that when Boston needed its star to take over, he did.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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