Boston Celtics

The Celtics began the night by honoring the victims of this week’s mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine with several acknowledgements. Boston players wore the warmups of their G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics. In addition, the Celtics donned a “Maine” band on their jerseys in honor of the state as it recovers after a shooter killed 18 people and wounded 13 at a bowling alley and a bar there.

Kristaps Porzingis made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:29 left and scored 30 points in a strong Celtics debut, Jayson Tatum had 34 points and 11 rebounds, and Boston beat the New York Knicks 108-104 on Wednesday night in the season opener for each team

Will this year be the year Tatum, Brown and Co. finally get over the hump and raise Banner 18 to the rafters?

Last season was defining for Jaylen Brown, who garnered his second All-Star selection and second-team All-NBA nod while helping lead the Celtics within a game of back-to-back NBA Finals appearances.

With Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis arriving in Boston to join Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics should easily be the class of the division and maybe even once again the entire Eastern Conference after falling one game shy of the NBA Finals in 2022-23.

Payton Pritchard scored 17 points to lead Boston in scoring for a third straight preseason game and the Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers for the second time in four days, 112-101 on Wednesday night.

Payton Pritchard scored 26 points hours after agreeing to a four-year, $30 million contract extension, and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-106 on Sunday in the preseason opener for both teams.

The season has yet to begin, but it seems already decided that should the year end in anything other than Banner 18, it will be a failure in Beantown.

Boston gave up two key pieces — point guard Malcolm Brogdon, the NBA's reigning Sixth Man of the Year, and forward Robert Williams — and Portland gets two future first-round draft picks. The Blazers will receive what would have been Golden State's first-round pick in 2024 (top-four protected) and Boston's first-round selection in 2029.

While the dust has yet to fully settle on this deal, Vegas has already bumped the Bucks not only past Boston in the East, but ahead of the defending champion Nuggets as the overall title favorite entering the '23-'24 season.