The Celtics raised Banner 18, then showed the Knicks how they did it

BOSTON — Only a few hours after they obtained their 2024 championship rings, the Celtics tied an NBA document for many three-pointers in a single sport, hitting 29 threes en path to a 132-109 blowout win over the Knicks.

The beating — a bodily manifestation of Mazzulla Ball — fittingly got here after Celtics proprietor Wyc Grousbeck deemed the Celtics “one of many most interesting groups ever assembled within the NBA”, and Commissioner Adam Silver proclaimed them the “winningest franchise in NBA historical past.”

In each sense, Banner Evening exceeded expectations for the followers who inundated TD Backyard hours earlier than tip-off. Celtic greats Bob Cousy, Cedric Maxwell, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen have been in the home for the ceremony, as was each participant on final 12 months’s championship crew (with the exceptions of Svi Mykhailiuk and Oshae Brissett). Cousy, who turned 96 in August, was wheeled onto the ground, throwing up two peace indicators towards the gang.

Gamers and coaches alike burdened the importance of getting a number of generations of Celtics in attendance, with Al Horford citing the second he noticed them because the second that spurred probably the most emotion.

“Man, these are legends,” Horford stated postgame. “There’s a duty. There’s the Celtic legacy. We discuss a number of this stuff and and I really feel like that was a extremely particular second for me — simply seeing them come out, and us embracing them. It was very particular.”

Joe Mazzulla — who kissed the parquet when it was his flip to get his ring — referred to as the presence of Cousy and firm one of the crucial essential parts of the celebration.

“We wouldn’t be the Celtics with out these guys, in the event that they didn’t maintain their finish of the duty and the possession,” he stated.

Jayson Tatum identified he was 10 years previous when Pierce, Allen, and Garnett gained the final Celtics’ ring.

“I’m nonetheless a fan of these guys,” Tatum stated. “They have been part of my childhood.”

As far the ceremony itself?

Mazzulla quipped he’d most likely by no means put on the large ring, however that the banner itself was probably the most particular half.

“I are available right here each afternoon and try these, and so they symbolize a lot,” Mazzulla stated. “And so, the banner was the spotlight for me, as a result of it represents a number of issues that go into it, after which the rafters have a lifetime of their very own on this constructing.”

Brown, in the meantime, stated his championship ring stood for every thing he’s skilled all through his profession.

“It’s every thing — feelings, the heartbreak, embarrassment, the work, the drive, the dedication, that’s what that ring represents,” Brown stated. “All of that’s what you are feeling.”

Various balcony followers expressed their pleasure and appreciation for the second, explaining how they’d been diehards for the Celtics for years, and that the 2024 ring ceremony was a dream fulfilled.

Jayson Tatum agreed that the second was definitely worth the wait: “It was every thing I assumed it could be — and extra.”

Knicks-Celtics was the becoming follow-up to an emotional ceremony

After the jewellery was collected and the banner was raised, the present was simply starting. And instantly, the on-court play appeared to function a pleasant reminder of simply how dominant the journey to Banner 18 was. The Celtics led the new-look Knicks by 19 factors within the first quarter, and by as many 35 on the night time. The result of the sport was by no means unsure — the one lingering suspense was relating to whether or not they’d hit the elusive thirtieth three-pointer to interrupt an NBA single-game document (spoiler alert: they did not).

Photograph by Brian Fluharty/Getty Photos

The cherry on prime was the masterful efficiency of Jayson Tatum. After a summer season of discourse that inexplicably centered round his shortcomings, Tatum performed a near-perfect sport, racking up 37 factors (on 14-18 capturing), 10 assists, and only one turnover in half-hour of actions. The remainder of the starters additionally all completed in double-figures; Derrick White with 24 factors, Jaylen Brown with 23, Jrue Vacation with 18, and Al Horford with 11. The identical beginning unit that carried the Celtics by a 16-3 postseason mixed to shoot a scorching 22/41 from downtown.

“The NBA must drug take a look at all of them, I’ll inform you that proper now,” said a stunned Josh Hart after the sport. “I ain’t ever seen nothing like that earlier than.”

However, the capturing masterpiece didn’t come out of skinny air. Relatively, it was borne out of a Celtics system that has empowered shooters and bred clear seems to be, one which’s solely persevering with to to bloom in 12 months 3 underneath Joe Mazzulla.

“Offensively, we simply sort of picked up from the place we left off final 12 months,” stated Tatum. “We play to our strengths. We all know what we’re attempting to do, and who we’re attempting to assault. We all know what units and actions to get in. We work on it on a regular basis — we work on reads each single day in observe, and that’s basically all we do.”

Mazzulla appreciated his crew’s capability to transition from the feelings of the ring ceremony to the basketball sport itself — whereas mentioning the 2 seemingly separate occasions have been truly fairly linked.

“It was spectacular to go from that to that,” Mazzulla stated. “However, should you have a look at it the way in which we need to, they’re the identical factor. The ring ceremony and the sport are the identical factor — as a result of there are the intangibles, there are the main points, the execution, the trouble, the togetherness and the toughness, and so we have been capable of keep on these intangibles from there to there. That’s sort of the purpose.”

And, whether or not or not that notion is intuitive for the common individual, the identical crew that watched the banner get hung, took the chance to remind the world simply how they did it.

“I used to be locked in,” Jaylen Brown stated. “I wished to start out early on the defensive aspect, simply attempting to put on them down, choosing up JB [Jalen Brunson] full court docket, simply attempting to make it powerful for him, attempting to influence the sport in numerous methods.”

Brown, Tatum, and Horford all took the rostrum after the win, leaning into the reflective spirit of the night time.

“My rookie 12 months, after I received drafted, that is what I stated I’d do — I’d go to conflict for town,” Brown stated. “And it’s nice to observe that banner get raised.”

“It’s one thing I’ve been dreaming about for a really, very very long time,” Tatum stated. “A second that I’ve seemed ahead to since I’ve gotten to the league.”

Donning a Celtics championship jacket in his postgame presser, Brown acknowledged what each fan within the constructing was considering because the banner floated to the rafters: this championship was ceaselessly.

“We did one thing spectacular, no matter what all people received to say,” Jaylen Brown stated. “My title, alongside my teammates’, goes to be etched down in Celtics historical past —which is likely one of the largest franchises in basketball and sports activities. You’ll be able to by no means take that from no one that was on that crew final 12 months.”