"The Knicks were expected to be better than the Celtics, and they are. The Celtics lost a lot of stellar defensive players, most notably Jrue Holiday, and they paid the price against Jalen Brunson, whose 31 points and five assists looked a little easier than they did last year during the regular season. Karl-Anthony Towns, meanwhile, feasted against a Celtics team that looks clumsy at times defensively and downright abysmal on the defensive glass."
"As expected, the Celtics were absolutely decimated by the Knicks' offensive rebounds. After a relatively solid performance against the Sixers in which they allowed just 10, they gave up 12 in the first half alone and 21 overall. Defensive rebounding will be a massive issue all season, but against teams like the Knicks - who have talented big men - it might be decisive before we even get to the Celtics' other issues."
"After giving up 42 points in the fourth quarter to drop their opener, the Celtics gave up 42 points in the second quarter, and the Knicks took an eight-point first-quarter deficit and reversed it into a 20-point halftime lead. The Celtics made the final score more respectable, but their second-half push had a decidedly Sisyphean flavor - whenever they threatened, the Knicks seemed to have a relatively simple answer."
The New York Knicks outperformed the Boston Celtics, validating preseason expectations. The Celtics lost key defensive personnel, notably Jrue Holiday, and struggled against Jalen Brunson (31 points, five assists) and Karl-Anthony Towns. Defensive rebounding collapsed: the Celtics allowed 12 offensive boards in the first half and 21 overall. The Knicks turned an eight-point deficit into a 20-point halftime lead, scoring 42 points in a single quarter while answering every Celtics rally. The Celtics appear less talented with reduced margin for error, and defensive rebounding and interior defense emerge as season-long vulnerabilities.
Read at Boston.com
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