BOSTON — Jayson Tatum scored 36 points as the Celtics opened their home schedule with a 107-103 victory over the New York Knicks, combining a strong third quarter with a productive finish from their leading scorer to hold off New York.
Boston outscored the Knicks 33-24 in the third period, according to Boston.com, creating a nine-point advantage during a quarter that proved significant in a game decided by four. MassLive described Tatum’s performance as a rebound effort in its coverage of the home opener.
The result gave Boston a win in its first home appearance, though the final margin reflected a close contest. Both outlets credited Tatum with 36 points and reported that the Celtics held off the Knicks rather than pulling away for a comfortable victory.
A third-quarter edge
The third period supplied Boston with an advantage larger than its eventual winning margin. Its 33 points accounted for nearly a third of its total offense, while New York scored 24 in the same stretch. That nine-point difference was more than twice the four points separating the teams at the finish.
Across the other three quarters combined, the Knicks outscored the Celtics 79-74, based on the final score and the third-quarter totals reported by Boston.com. Boston’s work in that one period therefore outweighed New York’s combined edge over the remainder of the game.
Those totals show the importance of the third quarter without establishing the sequence of every lead change. The quarter-by-quarter detail available in the source summaries does not specify the halftime score or the margin entering the fourth, but it identifies a clear stretch when Boston gained ground.
Tatum leads the scoring effort
Tatum’s 36 points represented just over a third of Boston’s 107. The rest of the Celtics combined for 71, putting his individual contribution at the center of the scoring account provided by both outlets.
Boston.com also highlighted Tatum’s strong play late in the game. That finish, alongside the third-quarter scoring advantage, framed its account of how the Celtics kept New York from taking the home opener. MassLive likewise emphasized Tatum’s scoring in assessing the Boston win.
The two reports focused on different parts of the same result: Boston.com pointed to the third-quarter differential and Tatum’s late production, while MassLive characterized his outing as a bounce-back performance. Neither provided additional player totals or a detailed closing possession sequence in the supplied summaries.
For Boston, the final accounting was straightforward: 36 points from Tatum, a decisive scoring edge in the third quarter and enough offense overall to finish four points ahead of the Knicks. The Celtics’ home schedule began with a victory, with Tatum’s performance the common thread in both reports of the game.
