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Nightly Pulse: Around The NBA, Opening Night

NBA season is officially here. Tip off the 2024-25 season on Opening Night with the latest action from tonight's doubleheader.

NBA.Com Staff

NBA Opening Night Live Blog

NBA Takeaways Tonight: Five Things You Need To Know From NBA Opening Night

NBA Opening Night is in the books with the Celtics and Lakers both securing convincing victories. Here’s what you need to know from tonight’s doubleheader.

Coronation for Celtics Nation

The 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics kicked off their season in style with a ring ceremony in front of the home crowd. The players were each presented with some serious hardware commemorating their tremendous title run.

Peep the scene from the Garden as the Celtics celebrated before tipping off the season against the Knicks.

🥹LeBron and Bronny Make NBA History

Bronny James made his much-anticipated NBA debut alongside his father in a historic moment in the NBA. The father-son duo became the first to play together in an NBA regular season game. LeBron ended the game with

 

🔥Celtics Tie Single-Game Record For 3’s ☘️

Boston put the league on notice with a dominant Opening Night victory over a New York team that is expected to be a major contender in the East. The reigning champion Celtics rained down threes all night, setting a new franchise record and flirting with the NBA’s all-time single-game record for made triples. 

The team had a real chance to set the record but suddenly went cold from deep late in the game, missing their final eight attempts over the last 9:34 to just miss making history. 

If tonight was any indication, the Celtics might challenge that record again before this season is over. 

Redick Victorious in Coaching Debut

JJ Redick got the dub in his first game as the Lakers’ head honcho. His team was willing to shoot the three despite results not always being there as the Lakers went 5-for-30 from beyond the arc. Regardless, this could signal a style change for LA’s offense.

Despite the struggles from deep, AD and Rui Hachimura turned in strong performances en route to the Lakers earning a decisive advantage in terms of points in the paint.

The Lakers return to action Friday against the Suns.

Tatum, AD Dominate in Wins

Jayson Tatum led the charge as the Celtics earned a blowout victory over the Knicks. Tatum was feeling it from beyond the arc right away, scoring the first points of the season on a three-pointer and it didn’t slow down from there. He finished with eight treys on 11 attempts en route to dropping 37 points. He also dished out 10 assists in the win.

Davis played a key role in the Lakers’ victory with 36 points and 16 boards. With the outside shots not falling for the Lake Show, Davis’ ability to generate offense and second-chance opportunities down low was pivotal.

 

 

Lakers Pull Away Late, Secure Opening Night Victory

LeBron James snapped his opening night streak of six consecutive season-opening losses as the Lakers handled the Timberwolves in front of the home crowd by a final score of 110-103.

It was a memorable night in LA as JJ Redick got a win in his first game as the new head honcho of the Lakers and Bronny James made his NBA debut alongside his father in a historic moment.

Anthony Davis proved to be unstoppable once again with a spectacular night highlighted by 36 points and 16 boards.

On the Minnesota side, Ant Man did his thing with 27 points and Rudy Gobert was a force on the boards with 14 rebounds to go with his 13 points. Minnesota was bitten by 16 turnovers that were converted into 19 points. Interior defense was also an issue as the Lakers outscored the Timberwolves 72-40 in the paint.

🗣️All The Way Up

Jaxson Hayes uses every bit of his 7-foot-3 wingspan to finish off the lob from De’Angelo Russell. Hayes scored in double figures in the season opener tonight while also collecting four rebounds thus far.

🍿T’Wolves Trim Lakers Lead

The Timberwolves have cut the Lakers lead to four early in the fourth after trailing significantly for much of the contest. Minnesota had been struggling with turnovers and interior defense but have found a way to make this a game thanks to a 12-3 run.

DiVincenzo Makes His First Bucket For New Team

Donte DiVincenzo, who was traded to Minnesota from New York as part of a blockbuster trade this summer, grabs a rebound and converts the putback for his first basket with his new club. DiVincenzo has added three assists along with five points through 14 minutes of action.

Bronny Debuts, Lakers Lead at Half

In an eventful first half in Tinseltown, fans were treated to NBA history with Bronny joining LeBron James on the floor late in the first half.

The Lakers take a 13-point lead into the locker room with strong first-half performances, especially in the frontcourt. Anthony Davis has scored 12 points and pulled down seven rebounds in 18 minutes and Rui Hachimura has scored 11 points while notching a +22 rating. LeBron James has chipped in eight points and three boards at the break.

Los Angeles has built a lead despite shooting just 15.8 percent from three (3-19) to start the game.

Anthony Edwards is cooking along as expected with a team-high 14 points. He is 3-for-7 from beyond the arc.

LeBron and Bronny Share the Floor for First Time

For the first time in NBA history, a father-son duo shared the floor with LeBron and Bronny James taking the court late in the first half of Tuesday’s season-opener.

Lakers Honor Jerry West

The Lakers honored Mr. Clutch in a touching tribute during tonight’s game and illuminated his jersey in the rafters.

🗣️Three-Wind 3️⃣⏪

Feast your eyes on the Celtics 3-point parade with 29 made triples which tied a single-game NBA record.

Lakers, T-Wolves Square off in Opening Night Doubleheader

LeBron and Bronny James got their work in pregame ahead of Tuesday night’s season-opener against the ascending Timberwolves. James is still on the hunt for his first Opening Night win as a member of the Lakers. Historically, James has come out strong out of the gate by averaging 25.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in 21 season-openers.

😤 Celtics Make Statement on Ring Night

From the ring ceremony to the 18th banner raising to the 23-point win, Celtics fans were treated to a memorable night at TD Garden. Adding to the intrigue, the Celtics flirted with history as they tied the NBA’s single-game record for made 3’s with 29 early in the fourth quarter. Boston’s total stayed there but it was still a remarkable shooting display from the reigning champs.

Jayson Tatum was a man on a mission with 37 points in 30 minutes and he contributed eight of Boston’s 29 triples. Seven Celtics made at least one 3-pointer on the night and they shot 47.5 percent from three overall.

On the Knicks’ side of the ledger, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges scored 12 and 16 points in their New York debuts, respectively.

 

3️⃣ Celtics Settle for Tying 3-Point Record

Boston tied the record for most 3-pointers made in a single game early in the fourth quarter when Al Horford sunk the Celts’ 29th triple. The counter stopped there despite Boston’s best efforts, though, as the Celtics did not convert a single 3-pointer from the 9:34 mark onward. They went 0-for-8 on their final attempts to break the record in front of the home crowd.

Still, even though the record was not broken tonight, it was a night to remember for Boston who sent a message to the whole league that it is a force to be reckoned with by dispatching of New York 132-109.

Lakers vs Timberwolves Starting Fives

The Lakers open their season against the Timberwolves with this group. LA deployed this lineup 24 times last season and the team had an 18-6 record with it.

Julius Randle makes his Timberwolves debut tonight alongside Anthony Edwards, Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert.

😲 Celts Tie Single-Game 3-Point Record

Al Horford chips in his third trey of the night as the Celtics tie the NBA’s single-game record for 3-pointers made in a game. The Celts have shot a ridiculous 60 percent from beyond the arc with seven players contributing to that total. Boston leads 128-93 early in the fourth quarter.

3-Point Record In Sight For Celts

The Celtics are putting on a clinic from beyond the arc tonight with 26 3-pointers before the end of the third quarter. The NBA record is 29 made 3-pointers. Boston isn’t just heaving from deep, it’s been smart with its shot selection and hyper-efficient with a 57.8 3-point percentage on 45 attempts.

Boston Leads Big At Half Over New York

The Celtics, fueled by a franchise-record-tying 17 3-pointers, lead 74-55 at the half in their season-opener against the Knicks. Jayson Tatum is up to 25 points at the break while Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Jaylen Brown have also scored in double figures.

Karl-Anthony Towns has turned in a strong effort in his Knicks debut with 12 points of 5-for-8 shooting. Jalen Brunson leads New York in scoring with 15. New York has its work cut out for it in closing the gap on the defending champs tonight but there’s plenty of ballgame left.

Celts Tie Franchise Record In First Half

Boston has come out on fire from downtown to begin their title defense, hitting a franchise-record-tying 17 3-pointers in the first half against the Knicks. Jayson Tatum has led the way with six treys while Al Horford, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Sam Houser and Payton Pritchard have all pitched in from beyond the arc as well.

McBride Heating Up

New York’s Miles McBride has provided a much-needed spark off the bench for the Knicks as they looks to keep up with the Celtics tonight. McBride is a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, including 2-for-2 from deep, in 14 minutes of action thus far. The Celtics lead by 20 as halftime approaches.

⛽ Tatum Fuels Hot Start for Celts

Boston’s Jayson Tatum has gotten off to a torrid start on opening night to help lead the Celtics to a 43-27 lead after one quarter. Tatum has gone 4-for-6 from beyond the arc and dished out five assists thus far.

KAT’s First Bucket as a Knick

Karl-Anthony Towns gets position on Jrue Holiday and swishes a lefty hook shot to bank his first points as a member of the Knicks. Boston has an early lead on the Knicks late in the first quarter.

Tatum Opens the Scoring

Boston’s Jayson Tatum scored the first bucket of the 2024-25 NBA season with a 3-pointer on the first possession. Tune in now to catch the Celtics and Knicks squaring off at TD Garden.

🏆 Boston Raises The Banner

Starting Lineups for Celtics vs Knicks

The defending champion Celtics are rolling with a lineup we saw 13 times last season that went 10-3 headlined by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The Knicks are rolling out a new-look lineup on Opening Night with Mikal Bridges reuniting with his former Villanova teammates in Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. It will also be Karl-Anthony Towns’ debut in the Orange and Blue.

 

Celtics Ring Ceremony Starts Now

Tune into the Celtics’ ring ceremony live on TNT ahead of tipoff for tonight’s season-opening showdown between the defending champion Celts against perhaps their biggest competition in the East, the Knicks.

Lock in for the New Season

Our team at NBA.com gets you ready for tipoff with 24 key NBA storylines for the new season, including a look at Celtics’ chances to repeat, candidates to win the scoring title, and playoff dark horses.

KAT is in the Building

Karl-Anthony Towns is set to make his Knicks debut Tuesday night after spending his first nine seasons in Minnesota. KAT’s move to New York was one of the biggest moves of the NBA offseason and could fuel a power shift in the Eastern Conference. New York’s starting five is now on par with almost any group in the league and how quickly Towns is able to gel with his new teammates could make all the difference for the Knicks especially early in the season.

Celtics Raise Banner No.18

The defending champion Boston Celtics will raise their 18th NBA Championship banner to the rafters tonight before tipping off their title defense with a matchup against the Knicks at 7:30 Eastern.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and company will face off against a Knicks team that has a new look to it this season. An eventful offseason in New York saw Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo get moved to Minnesota in return for Karl-Anthony Towns.

These two teams project to be among the beasts of the East this season as Boston looks to become the first repeat champion since the 2017 and 2018 Warriors.

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