4 Takeaways: Jayson Tatum comes up clutch as Celtics top Knicks for first win of the season

Jayson Tatum scores 36 points to lead the Celtics over the Knicks on Friday.

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No two teams have faced each other more in NBA history than the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, and Friday marked their 503 all-time meeting.

For the first time in 53 years, New York entering the first matchup as the defending NBA champion, with Boston having won seven of its NBA-record 18 titles since New York’s previous championship in 1973.

After each team dropped its season opener — New York falling to Philadelphia on banner night at Madison Square Garden and Boston succumbing to a Pistons’ rally in Detroit — neither Eastern Conference contender wanted to start the new season 0-2.

The energy on the court felt more like a playoff battle than just the second game of a long regular season. But that is to be expected for a Knicks squad playing with a target on its back all season.

After a back-and-forth first half, the Celtics built a 12-point lead in the second half. But as the Knicks proved during their title run, they are never out of a game until the final buzzer. A 16-5 run cut Boston’s advantage to a single point with under two minutes remaining.

But three straight clutch buckets from Jayson Tatum were too much for the Knicks to overcome as the Celtics earned their first win of the season,

107-103

, in front of their home fans.

1. Tatum bounces back from rough opener

In Boston’s season-opening loss to Detroit, Tatum scored just 13 points on 6-for-23 shooting, including 0-for-7 from 3-point range.

How uncharacteristic was that performance? In his previous 602 career regular-season games, he had only once attempted at least 23 shots while shooting such a low percentage (26.1%). But even in that game — an overtime loss to New York in 2021 — he at least made two 3-pointers.

Friday night was a different story. After missing his first shot of the game from beyond the arc, Tatum attacked the basket on each of his next two buckets. After finding a rhythm, he scored from all over the court as his shot chart illustrates.

“You look at the stat sheet tonight, 14-for-26, 36 points, that’s probably the game that everybody expects 82 nights a year,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. “I’d be a betting man that he gets something similar to that most nights. … That was a really well-balanced game from JT on both ends, and you were able to kind of see his greatness.”

No longer playing beside Jaylen Brown, Tatum will be counted on more than ever to serve as the Celtics’ primary scorer and offensive creator.

While his shot wasn’t falling in the season-opener, Tatum dished out 11 assists, including four to Paul George, who had the hot hand with 38 points in his Boston debut. On Friday, Tatum added seven more assists, bringing his early season average to nine per game.

But when the game was on the line, Tatum called his own number and delivered.

2. Three straight clutch buckets help Boston avoid another comeback loss

With 8:01 to play, Neemias Queta converted a three-point play to put the Celtics up by 11 points, nearly matching their largest lead of the game. But the Knicks had one more push left, responding with a 16-5 run to cut the Boston lead to a single point. Staring at another potential comeback loss, Tatum had an answer — three of them in fact.

JT DELIVERS IN THE CLUTCH 🔥

Three straight buckets late in the 4Q as he finishes with 36 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST and 3 STL!

The

@celtics

secure the win against the Knicks 👏

pic.twitter.com/WVQlQqpdWM

— NBA (@NBA)

October 24, 2026

First, when his drive to the basket was stopped, he pulled the ball out and went to work against Josh Hart in the mid post. After three dribbles he spun away and sank a fadeaway 19-footer to put Boston up three with 1:24 to play.

After an offensive foul by Karl-Anthony Towns gave the ball back to Boston, Tatum delivered again — sinking a deep corner two over a tight contest from Hart to extend Boston’s lead to five with 49 seconds left.

Two OG Anunoby free throws made it a one-possession game again with 45 seconds left. With Boston up 103-100, everyone inside TD Garden knew the ball would be in Tatum’s hands looking to seal the deal.

Facing Anunoby at the top of the key, Tatum called for a screen and made his move with 35 seconds left. The Knicks switched on the play, putting Towns on Tatum at the left wing. Tatum got to his spot just behind the 3-point line, gave a pump fake and then rose for a triple that hit nothing but net. The swish drowned out only by roaring home crowd.

3. Robinson gets win in first game against former team

Just over four months removed from grabbing perhaps the most iconic offensive rebound in Knicks history to help clinch Game 5 of the Finals, Robinson took on his former teammates for the first time since signing with Boston in free agency.

Prior to the game, in an interview with Prime Video’s Cassidy Hubbarth, Robinson delivered this message: “I love y’all, but tonight, we’re not friends.”

It took less than three minutes for Robinson to get on the board, converting a layup off pick-and-roll action with Tatum. His second and final bucket didn’t come until the fourth quarter, but it came on a defense-to-offense sequence that brought the house down.

Mitch making plays on both ends of the floor 👏

Big-time rejection.

One-hand alley-oop jam.

pic.twitter.com/rmsK74csWY

In the span of 21 seconds, he blocked a Karl-Anthony Towns layup with an emphatic spike, then hammered home a one-handed alley-oop on the fast break.

Robinson finished with four points, four rebounds, two assists and a block in 22 minutes while foul trouble much of the night. He also secured his first win as a Celtic and admitted he was glad to finally be on the winning side of Tatum’s clutch play

“I’ve seen JT do that… to be on the same side as it, and witness that being on his team, it was mind blowing,” he said.

While Robinson and the Knicks paused their friendship for rivalry during the 48 minutes, it was nothing but love postgame.

4. Knicks begin title defense 0-2

The Knicks are the first defending champion to open a season 0-2 since the 2011-12 Dallas Mavericks.

Last season, the defending champion Thunder opened their season 8-0 and did not suffer their second loss until their 27th game.

Should it be time to panic in New York City?

Consider this: In this season’s GM Survey, the league’s general managers predicted the Knicks, 76ers, Cavaliers and Celtics to finish as the top four teams in the Eastern Conference.

New York opened its title defense against two of those heavyweights, falling to the Sixers on opening night and Friday at Boston by a combined 10 points.

While an 0-2 start is not the way the Knicks wanted to begin their title defense, there are still 80 games to play, so the panic level should remain at a minimum for now.

The Knicks will look to enter the win column when they host the Magic on Sunday at Madison Square Garden. They will also look to get Mikal Bridges on track after he went scoreless against Boston, dropping his shooting to just 2-for-16 through two games.

“He’s getting the looks that he needs to get, he’s just gotta knock them down now,” said Knicks coach Mike Brown after Friday’s loss.