Preview: Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks season opener preview, injury report, and info - October 20, 2021
Amny.com
The regular season is finally here! The Boston Celtics travel to New York, New York to open their season as they take on some old friends and the New York Knicks. Boston finished their preseason campaign with a 2-2 record, while the Knicks went 4-0.
How to Watch
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y.
Time: 7:30 p.m. (EST)
Channel(s): ESPN, NBA League Pass
Player Breakdown
In their final game of the preseason, the Celtics fell to the Miami Heat by a large margin. Despite the 21-point loss, the game was a lot closer than meets the eye. They put up a good fight for the majority of the game, but then let it slip away at the end. Standout players from that game include Dennis Schroder and Romeo Langford, both of whom played well all throughout the preseason. Grant Williams, Jabari Parker, and Aaron Nesmith also contributed impressive stints during the preseason.
Jayson Tatum, on the other hand, struggled throughout the Celtics’ preseason schedule. He always managed to put up some points, but they didn’t come easy. He wasn’t shooting efficiently and something just looked off. Tatum was ice cold from three-point range, so he’ll be looking to turn things around tonight in the season opener. He will be in the starting lineup tonight alongside Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Grant Williams, and Robert Williams.
As for the Knicks, they played super well in the preseason. A big part of this, though, is that their star players ended up playing a ton of minutes, in true Tom Thibodeau fashion. Julius Randle led the team in scoring, followed by Derrick Rose and RJ Barrett. Each of them shot the ball very efficiently in the games they played. Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier did not find as much success from an efficiency standpoint, but they both still managed to score the ball well.
Injury Report
The Celtics’ injury report looks better than it did in prior games. Jaylen Brown will be available after testing positive for COVID-19 a couple of weeks ago. Ime Udoka says that he looks “impressively fine” after recovering. Unfortunately, Al Horford will not be able to make his return tonight, as he is still in quarantine due to contracting COVID-19.
New York also has a pretty short injury report. The only player listed is Nerlens Noel, who is doubtful to play due to a knee injury.
Keys to the Game
The first, most important key to this game is to get Jayson Tatum going. As mentioned, he struggled to find a rhythm in the preseason, so it’s essential that he finds it sooner rather than later. Hopefully, that’s as simple as him seeing a couple of shots go down early on in the game. Just run some plays to get him a few easy looks so he can get the ball rolling. If Tatum is hot, the Celtics will always have a good chance at winning the game.
Next, the Celtics’ role players need to show out tonight. The Knicks have some great depth on their roster, so Boston’s bench players need to mimic that success. The game won’t stay close for long if Udoka subs out his starters and the Celtics immediately start getting killed. Not having Horford hurts the depth a little bit, but that is matched by the Knicks not having Noel. The key factor on the bench is going to be stopping Derrick Rose and matching his production.
Finally, and most simply, just get a feel for things. Obviously, the team wants to start the year with a win, but the more important thing here is seeing how they look together. Udoka is going to take some time to figure out who plays well with who and who deserves the most playing time. It will take a few games, at the very least, for him to iron things out. So, while a win would be ideal, the team should focus on playing good basketball and seeing what works.
Pregame Show
Make sure to tune in to our live pregame show, “The Banner Town Build Up.” We are live 30 minutes before every Celtics game at @GuyBostonSports on YouTube and Facebook. See you there at 7:00 p.m. (EST) tonight!
