Celtics rain down record-tying 29 triples in NBA opening-day blowout of Knicks

MANILA, Philippines -- The Boston Celtics ushered in the new NBA season with a 3-point barrage, sinking a history-tying 29 triples to blow the New York Knicks out of the water, 123-109, at the TD Garden in Boston Wednesday morning (Manila time).

In the curtain-raiser of the season and on their banner night, the defending champions started hot and finished much hotter despite a strong offensive showing from the new-look Knicks.

Jayson Tatum finished with 37 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, while making 8-of-11 shots from deep.

Derrick White added 24 markers, while Jaylen Brown had 23 points and seven rebounds.

Boston tied the 29 3-pointers in a game set by the Milwaukee Bucks after a trey by Al Horford at the 8:54 mark of the final quarter.

However, the Celtics missed their final 13 attempts from rainbow country that would have broken the 3-point mark.

The two teams were held in a close game early, with a step-back jumper by Deuce McBride making it a 16-21 deficit for the Knicks.

In the final four minutes of the first quarter, though, the Celtics unleashed a 22-6 run to break the game open, 43-22, after a triple by Payton Pritchard. The blitz was broken by a jumper by McBride, but it tilted the game firmly on the side of Boston.

New York tried to claw out of the gigantic hole, but the home team just found answers on any run the Knicks uncorked.

The lead grew to as much as 35 points, 128-93, in the fourth quarter after a layup by Jrue Holiday.

Holiday finished with 18 points, four assists and four rebounds, while Horford and Sam Hauser chipped in 11 and 10, respectively.

McBride and Jalen Brunson powered the Knicks with 22 points each. Offseason acquisitions Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 and 12 markers, respectively, for New York.

“I’m really proud of the way we played. Tonight was emotional, this is a celebration of what we accomplished last year. Tonight was special, and to kinda have a reset and go to try and win a basketball game against a really good team on opening night… The way we just came out and responded, I’m proud of us,” Tatum said after the game.

The Knicks shot 43-of-78 from the field, good for 55.1%, compared to the Celtics’ 48-of-95 (50.5%) clip. But the former went 11-of-30 from 3-point territory against the latter’s 29-of-61.