Jayson Tatum scores 36 as Celtics hold off Knicks 107-103 after rough opener

Jayson Tatum scored 25 of his 36 points in the second half, including seven of Boston's final eight, as the Celtics beat the Knicks 107-103 at TD Garden on Friday night, according to ESPN and the Associated Press.

The win moved Boston to 1-1. The Knicks fell to 0-2, according to ESPN/AP.

Tatum's stat line

Tatum finished with 36 points on 14-of-26 shooting (53.8%), 3-of-10 from three and 5-of-5 at the free throw line, according to CBS Sports. He added nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 37 minutes. ESPN's schedule page lists him as the game's leader in all three of points, rebounds and assists.

Paul George and Neemias Queta each scored 15 for Boston, and Derrick White added 12, Field Level Media reported via Deadspin. Karl-Anthony Towns led New York with 22 points, and OG Anunoby had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists, per AP.

A close finish

The Celtics outscored the Knicks 33-24 in the third quarter, according to ESPN's box score. Quarter by quarter, Boston scored 26, 24, 33 and 24, while New York scored 27, 22, 24 and 30.

Nine of Tatum's points came in the fourth, AFP reported via Yahoo Sports. Boston had led by as many as 12 early in that period, and the Knicks cut the gap to one before Tatum helped close it out. Former Knick Mitchell Robinson, now with Boston, played his first game against his old team.

Bouncing back from Tuesday

The performance came after a difficult season opener. Tatum shot 6-of-23 and scored 13 points in Boston's loss to Detroit on Tuesday, according to CBS Sports. NBC Sports Boston reported he went 0-for-7 from three but handed out 11 assists.

Detroit won that game 121-113 at Little Caesars Arena. NBC Sports Boston reported that the Celtics blew a 22-point lead and that the Pistons finished the game on a 23-0 run. George scored 38 points in his Celtics debut, which the outlet called the most ever by a player in a Celtics debut.

The backdrop

Tatum ruptured his right Achilles in Game 4 of Boston's East semifinal loss to the Knicks in May 2025, per NBA.com and AP. ESPN reported that he made his 2025-26 debut on March 6, 2026, almost 10 months after surgery.

Before the season, Tatum said he expects to play on back-to-back days, Boston.com reported.