Josh Hart (Image Credit: Getty Images)
After winning their 18th championship last season, the Boston Celtics are once again proving why they’re considered favorites for the title this year. Their season opener against the New York Knicks showcased their dominance as they secured a commanding 132-109 victory over Josh Hart’s team.
The Knicks gave their best effort, trying to halt the Celtics’ momentum, but Boston’s star duo, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, proved to be unstoppable. Even with the Knicks fighting hard, Tatum’s and Brown’s outstanding performances were too much to overcome. Following the tough loss, Josh Hart was impressed by the Celtics’ talent, jokingly calling for a drug test.
“The NBA needs to drug test them, dudes. I ain’t ever seen anything like that,” Hart said.
Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics, posting a game-high 37 points along with 10 assists and four rebounds. Jaylen Brown was equally effective, contributing 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 assist to secure the win. On the other side, Hart added 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Josh Hart Supports Mikal Bridges
The New York Knicks’ recent addition, Mikal Bridges, faced some early struggles in their season opener game as he went 0-for-7 from the field in the first half. This performance raised concerns among fans, but teammate Josh Hart was quick to shut down any doubts after the game.
“Mikal don’t care about anything else. We don’t care about all the background noise on Mikal’s shot. We don’t care about it. He puts the work in every day; he’s going to be good. The talk around it is stupid. There’s stupidity to it,” Hart said.
“At the end of the day, he’s been almost a 40 percent career three-point shooter. Talk around it is stupid, and we’re not going to entertain it,” he added.
Despite his rough first half, Bridges indeed made a strong comeback in the second. He finished the game with 16 points and 2 assists. Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride had standout performances, each contributing 22 points, although their efforts weren’t enough to prevent the loss.
