Celtics beat Knicks and Rockets beat Spurs as Heat start 0-2
The New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs both dropped to 0-2 records to open the new NBA season following defeats against the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets respectively.
Celtics Hand Knicks Second Defeat Behind Tatum Performance
The champion New York Knicks fell 107-103 to the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 36 points, 9 rebounds, 7 asistances, and 3 steals. Tatum scored nine of his points in the fourth quarter after the Knicks trimmed a 12-point deficit down to a single point. Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla described the performance as a very well-balanced game from his star forward on both ends of the floor. Paul George and Neemias Queta each added 15 points for the Celtics.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 22 points and captain Jalen Brunson contributed 19 points to lead the Knicks, who are attempting to become the first team to repeat as champions since 2018.
Thompson Secures Rockets Victory Over Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs dropped their second home game, losing 114-110 to the Houston Rockets after opening their season with a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks, improving on his performance from the season debut. All five San Antonio starters reached double figures, but the team bench contributed only 21 points.
Alperen Sengün scored 29 points for Houston, while Kevin Durant added 20 points. Amen Thompson recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds, sealing the win with a defensive play against Wembanyama in the final seconds. With Houston leading 112-100 and three seconds remaining, Wembanyama received a pass in the paint, spun for a layup to tie the game, but the guard Thompson blocked the shot from the 2.24-meter French center. “It’s crazy how fast he jumped to block that,” Durant said of his teammate.
Elsewhere across the league, the Miami Heat also fell to an 0-2 start following a 128-111 home loss to the Detroit Pistons, despite 36 points and 12 rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo. In Memphis, the Grizzlies overcame a 12-point deficit in the final four minutes to defeat the Golden State Warriors 111-108, securing their second win while young Mexican player Karim López remained on the bench.
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