Kristaps Porzingis makes historic debut, comes up big late as Celtics down Knicks in season opener - The Boston Globe (2024)

Knicks fans certainly remember Porzingis, too, and he has been back in Madison Square Garden plenty since he was traded in 2019. But there has never been a situation quite like this one. The team he now plays for is a longtime rival and a championship contender.

So, there were lusty boos when Porzingis was introduced, and expletive-laced chants when he inadvertently elbowed Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein in the face. But Porzingis embraced it all, seemingly energized by the realization that his new team could be just as special as many are predicting.

“That, was awesome,” he said later. “That was awesome. I’m not going to lie.”

Porzingis finished with 30 points — the most by a player making his Boston debut — and added 8 rebounds and 4 blocks.

At the start, his strong play at both ends staked the Celtics to an early double-digit lead. And with Boston on the verge of collapse in the fourth quarter, he rescued it by scoring nine consecutive points to help flip a six-point deficit into a satisfying win. That stretch included a 28-foot dagger from the right arc on a pass from Jayson Tatum with 1:29 left that snapped a 101-101 tie and put Boston in front for good.

“He just makes us that much more dynamic, obviously, with his size, ability to shoot, make plays off the dribble,” Tatum said. “When they double me late, make the right play, find an open man. Obviously he can shoot from wherever. I mean, he’s really good. He’s really, really good. We’re lucky to have him.”

Tatum was not too shabby, either. He was poised and purposeful, tallying 34 points on 13 for 22 shooting, along with 11 rebounds and 4 assists — although afterward he lamented his four turnovers and vowed to be better in that area.

It was a less memorable night for All-Star forward Jaylen Brown, playing in his first game since signing a five-year, $304 million contract extension that was the richest in NBA history. He missed all four of his 3-pointers, finished with 11 points, and nearly cost the Celtics the game.

Boston had the ball with the score tied at 93 and 4:45 left when Brown’s entry pass was intercepted, leading to a Julius Randle 3-pointer. Brown then threw away the ensuing inbounds pass and fouled Quentin Grimes as he drilled a 3-pointer — a rough 35-second stretch that gave the Knicks, who never led during the first three quarters, their largest advantage at 99-93.

But Grimes missed the free throw — New York was just 14 for 26 on the night — and the Celtics pushed back at the foul line, hitting six in a row to tie the game before Porzingis’s deep dart capped the 9-0 burst.

“I felt like we were organized,” coach Joe Mazzulla said of the closing surge. “We had the proper spacing, we had the proper action, we had the proper reads. We were able to go to two or three different things and that’s what we have to go to.”

Point guard Jrue Holiday, the Celtics’ other splashy offseason acquisition, had 9 points and 4 rebounds. But he was impactful on defense, helping hold the bigger and taller Randle to 5 for 22 shooting and finished with 3 blocks.

“I think for me, just one of my plans was keeping him off the boards, trying not to foul him,” Holiday said. “He got an and-one on me there. That was my mistake. But really just taking on the challenge, being able to be the guy.”

Porzingis controlled the opening quarter at both ends. His first field goal came on a wide-open pick-and-pop 3-pointer, a feature that will create so much space for his teammates as this season progresses. He added a thunderous alley-oop on a pass from Derrick White, and slid through the lane for another dunk. Late in the quarter he drained two more 3-pointers, including a deep offering from the top of the key.

On defense, his length seemed to disturb the Knicks, who struggled to get clean looks over his massive wing-span, either missing them completely or turning them down because of concern about what might happen next.

“I feel like the way the coaching staff is using me on defense is paying off,” Porzingis said, “and I’m able to be as effective as possible.”

The Knicks lingered thanks to their work on the offensive glass. They held a 20-4 edge on second-chance points, and a buzzer-beating putback by Hartenstein pulled New York within 51-46 at the break.

Then midway through the third they needed just 48 seconds to unspool a 10-0 burst that helped tie the score at 66. But Al Horford, who came off the bench for the first time in his Celtics career, hit a pair of big 3-pointers to steady Boston.

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.