Everything You Need to Know About the Celtics Season Opener

After a 16-year wait, Celtics fans will finally get the opportunity to watch their team raise Banner 18 to the rafters. Before their Opening Night matchup with the New York Knicks Tuesday night, members of the 2024 NBA Championship team will be honored on the court and receive their rings before hoisting the banner.

It is sure to be an emotionally triumphant occasion for everyone involved in the organization, and one Celtics fans will not soon forget.

It will be easy for fans to forget that after all of the festivities, but there will still be a game to play, and it should be a really good one at that. Boston's title defense will begin with a tough task, as the Knicks are widely considered to be their biggest threat in the Eastern Conference.

After Jalen Brunson's breakout season rejuvenated the franchise and led to a postseason victory against the Philadelphia 76ers, injuries cut their momentous run short in the second round. Seeing the team's potential, New York reloaded in the offseason, acquiring star Center Karl-Anthony Towns from the Timberwolves in exchange for Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle. This move paired with the acquisition of Mikal Bridges is expected to vault the Knicks into the championship contender tier of NBA teams.

This means that the highly anticipated season opener could serve as a potential Eastern Conference Finals preview that no NBA fan will want to miss. Here's how you can avoid missing the action, and what you can expect to see from TD Garden:

The Nuts and Bolts: Start Time, How to Watch, Etc.

• Home: Boston Celtics
• Away: New York Knicks
• Venue: TD Garden
• Date: Oct. 22, 2024
• Time: Banner Ceremony 7:00 p.m. Eastern, Tip Off 7:30 p.m.
• TV Coverage: TNT
• Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub
• Lines: Celtics -5, O/U 222.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
• Boston Uniform: Icon Edition
• New York Uniform: Association Edition

Injury Report

• Boston: Kristaps Porzingis (OUT)
• New York: Precious Achiuwa (OUT), Mitchell Robinson (OUT)

Prediction and Pick

With this being the first matchup of the regular season, it will be the first glimpse anyone is getting at the new-look Knicks outside of preseason games. What those exhibitions showed was a team that still needed time to find chemistry. While Towns did not appear to miss a step, Bridges and Josh Hart struggled mightily, with the former going 2/19 from three, and the latter only scoring two points throughout the preseason.

Meanwhile, the Celtics preseason demonstrated that the squad has maintained the same cohesion that won them a championship. It also showed that bench pieces such as Payton Pritchard, who led the team with 80 points, will continue to pose problems for opponents. Expect bench depth to be an important factor in the game.

With Kristaps Porzingis injured, the Celtics will need strong production from Al Horford to provide the size to match Towns. You can also expect to see the Celtics return to their strategy of aggressive shooting from beyond the arc, even if the shots don't fall. Mazzulla-ball last season emphasized the belief that if the team keeps attempting threes even in a drought, they will eventually break through and the shots will start falling. Jayson Tatum with his adjusted shot mechanics and a recently reinvigorated Jaylen Brown with a chip on his shoulder should have big performances in their 2024-25 debuts as well.

The biggest question will be whether the Knicks can score beyond Towns and Brunson, who should be firing on all cylinders as well. If their supporting cast struggles to score points, then New York will be completely overwhelmed by Boston's remarkable depth.

This game should be as close as forecasted in the first half, but in front of a packed house with a newly minted banner above their heads, Boston is due for another second-half deluge to pull away and start their title defense with a win.

Pick: Celtics -5

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.