The Knicks have their championship rings. They’re still looking for their first win.
Friday’s 107-103 loss to the Celtics dropped New York to 0-2, making it the first defending NBA champion to lose its first two games in 15 years, as Ian Casselberry of Yahoo Sports noted. The last team to do it was the 2011-12 Mavericks, who started 0-3.
Two losses won’t undo what the Knicks accomplished last season. But this probably wasn’t how they pictured the celebration ending.
Jayson Tatum did most of the damage, finishing with 36 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals. More importantly, he delivered when New York finally threatened to take control.
The Knicks trimmed a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to 99-98 before Tatum answered with consecutive baskets. His 3-pointer with 30.3 seconds remaining gave Boston enough room to finish the job.
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Karl-Anthony Towns led New York with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while OG Anunoby added 20 and 10. Jalen Brunson scored 19 but shot 7-of-17, finishing with four assists and three turnovers.
So the Knicks made a game of it. They just spent too much of the second half trying to repair what went wrong in the third, when Boston built a 10-point lead.
New York returns home Sunday to face the Magic. A win would keep the Knicks from matching those Mavericks at 0-3, and give the home crowd something to celebrate from this season.
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