Morning After: Celtics 107, Knicks 103 as Tatum Closes the Door and the Champs Start 0-2

Quick answer: The Knicks lost 107-103 at Boston on Friday, Oct. 23, and they're 0-2. Jayson Tatum scored 36, with 25 in the second half, and hit three straight jumpers in the last 1:30 to kill a Knicks comeback. Next up: the 0-2 Orlando Magic at the Garden on Sunday, Oct. 25 (7 PM ET / 6 PM CT, MSGN/DAZN).

Key stats

• Final: Celtics 107, Knicks 103. NYK 0-2, BOS 1-1.
• Tatum: 36 points on 14-of-26, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals.
• Cat (Towns): 22 points on 9-of-13, 10 rebounds in 37:16.
• OG: 20 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists.
• Deuce McBride: 20 points off the bench, 6-of-8 from three.
• Mikal Bridges: 0 points, 0-of-8 (2-of-16 through two games).
• Paint: Boston 38, Knicks 30.
• Threes: Knicks 16-of-40, Boston 15-of-39.
• Turnovers: Knicks 18, which Boston turned into 19 points. Boston had 11.
• Third quarter: Boston won it 33-24.

My gut reaction

I've been watching this team since the '80s, so I know an 0-2 start isn't the end of the world. But this one stung. We had Boston on the ropes, came back from 12 down on the road, and then watched Tatum go 3-for-3 when it mattered.

Frustrating? Absolutely. A disaster? No. Here's why.

How it got away

The first half was a coin flip, with Boston up just one at the break. NBA.com counted 12 lead changes and four ties.

Then the third quarter happened. Boston won it 33-24, took a 10-point lead into the fourth, and pushed it to 91-79.

But this team doesn't fold. A 12-3 run, capped by a Cat putback dunk, made it 94-91. Josh Hart hit a three to make it 99-96, and a Brunson floater off a Neemias Queta turnover made it a one-point game.

Then Tatum took over:

• A fadeaway 19-footer over Hart made it 101-98 with 1:11 left.
• After a Towns offensive foul, he hit a deep corner two over Hart.
• After two OG free throws made it 103-100, he pump-faked Towns on a switch and drilled a three with about 30 seconds left.

Deuce hit a three to make it 106-103 with 13.9 seconds left, but Payton Pritchard's free throw sealed it.

The paint-vs-threes problem

This is the lens I always come back to: you have to win inside and outside. The Knicks did their part from deep, going 16-of-40 to Boston's 15-of-39, so that's a three-point edge right there.

Inside, though, Boston won the paint 38-30. Queta had three blocks by himself, and the whole Knicks team had two. Add 18 turnovers worth 19 Boston points, and that's your game. We won the three-point battle and lost the paint and the ball-security battle. That's not balance.

Cat at the five: keep it

I love the five-out look with Cat at center. It's a weapon, and Friday showed why. He went 9-of-13 for 22 and 10 boards in 37 minutes, and he stayed out of the foul trouble that wrecked his opener.

Yes, he had the late offensive foul, and yes, Tatum hit the dagger after a switch put Cat on him. But 9-of-13 from your center is a huge advantage. I'm not giving that up.

OG was a monster; Mikal needs one to fall

OG went 20, 10 and 8, two assists shy of a triple-double, and kept the offense breathing. I want him and Mikal on the wings together all season. That's the pairing that won us a title.

Mikal's shot just isn't falling yet: 0-for-8 Friday and 2-for-16 through two games. Mike Brown isn't worried: "He's getting the looks that he needs to get, he's just gotta knock them down now." I'm with him. Mikal has earned the benefit of the doubt.

About that size

Tatum's first two daggers came against Hart. That's not a knock on Josh, who went for 10 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. But it's exactly why I keep saying this team needs more size on the wings and at guard. When a big scorer gets to his spot against a smaller defender late in a game, that's a problem we'll see again.

The Mitch game

You knew this was coming. Mitchell Robinson was the only regular from the title team who didn't come back, and Friday was his first game against us since signing with Boston. Before tip he told Prime Video, "I love y'all, but tonight, we're not friends."

Foul trouble held him to 4 points, 4 rebounds and a block in 22 minutes. But that block was a big one: he spiked a Cat layup in the fourth and finished an alley-oop from Derrick White at the other end. It hurt to watch. Still love you, Mitch.

So... panic?

No. Here's the context from NBA.com:

• We're the first defending champ to start 0-2 since the 2011-12 Mavericks. Not great!
• But both losses came against teams the league's GMs picked to finish top four in the East (Philly and Boston, plus us and Cleveland), and the combined margin was 10 points.
• There are 80 games left.

My verdict: clean up the turnovers, win the paint, and get Mikal one easy look early. Do that and these games flip.

Up next: Magic at MSG on Sunday

• When: Sunday, Oct. 25, 7:00 PM ET (6:00 PM CT)
• Where: Madison Square Garden
• TV: MSGN/DAZN

Orlando is 0-2 too. The Magic lost 132-125 to Atlanta even with Paolo Banchero's 35 points and 10 assists. Then Minnesota beat them 115-93 on Friday while Orlando shot 8-of-39 (20.5%) from three. Banchero played just 26 minutes in that one with what the Magic called a sore right ankle, so check the injury report before tip.

Who's getting minutes and who isn't? I broke it all down in today's Rotation Watch: https://knicks365.com/blog/knicks-rotation-watch-minutes-through-two-games