Celtics Face Knicks in NBA Season Opener
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 22 Oct 2024
The Boston Celtics begin their title retention campaign as they host the new look New York Knicks in the 2024-25 NBA regular season opener in their home floor at the TD Garden Arena tomorrow.
The Celts are looking for a repeat win against New York whom they defeated 106-102 at the Madison Garden starting the 2023-24 season.
Despite an injury-plagued campaign, the Knicks were among the very few to have pinned the mighty Celtics a home loss last season, carving out a gritty win.
The Celtics are favored to at least again dominate the Eastern Conference as they are back practically with the same line-up that ran away with Conference championship and later the NBA Finals last season.
Their starters remained intact with 7-3 Kristaps Porzingis at center, Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown at the wings and Jrue Holiday and Derreck White tending the backcourt. With Porzingis still on injury list and not be back until December, veteran Al Horford together with Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman Sr will be expected to rotate in providing steadiness at the slot. Payton Pritchard, Jordan Walsh and Jaden Springer can provide quality minutes off the bench.
New York is returning with the streak shooting Jalen Brunson and the rebounding leader Josh Hart but the Knicks will likely have a different starting unit with the addition of veterans Karl Andrew Town's from Utah Jazz, Mikal Bridges from NJ Nets and Cameron Payne from Philadelphia to provide ceiling and spunk to the comebacking core of OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, Precious Aichuwa and Miles McBride.
Gone are center Isiah Hertenstein, hot shooting Donte DiVinzenzo and the oft injured Julius Randle but welcome additions also include the promising rookies French Pacome Didiet and
Tyler Koler.
Towns career flourished last season with his twin tower tandem with Rudy Gobert in Utah. Will he be able to duplicate this in New York with Robinson? Bridges demonstrated all-stars point making and defense with the Nets which the Knicks need now with the departure of DiVinzenzo and continued stay in injury list of Anunoby.
New York last won the NBA championship in 2008 with a team built around Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.
The season is just starting but the Boston-New York opener is worth following as the Knicks may yet emerge again as the new challenger from the East.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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