BOSTON (AP) 鈥� The new-look New York Knicks were no match in their first test against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics.
After a pair of big offseason moves that landed them Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, fell behind early and were on Tuesday in Boston鈥檚 night.
Looking to reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000, the Knicks had trouble keeping up with Boston鈥檚 barrage of 3-pointers as the Celtics tied an NBA record with 29 made 3s.
It started early and didn鈥檛 get any better for New York.
鈥淒efensively, obviously, we鈥檝e got to be a lot better than we were,鈥� Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. 鈥淭hey put a lot of pressure on you. ... Sometimes the initial shot we were able to get to, then the (rebound) went long over our heads.鈥�
finished with 12 points and seven rebounds in his New York debut. Bridges, brought in to help bolster their defense against Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, added 16 points.
New York trailed by 19 after one quarter and the deficit ballooned to 26 after three quarters, setting up a long stretch of garbage time.
鈥淭hey tied an NBA record in 3s,鈥� New York guard Josh Hart said. 鈥淵ou have like three to four games a year where the team shoots the ball at an absurd clip, and sometimes there鈥檚 not much you can do about it.鈥�
The Celtics finished 29 for 61 on 3-pointers and New York was just 11 for 30.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to give them credit,鈥� Hart said. 鈥淩ing night and they came out.鈥�
Hart even joked that Boston鈥檚 performance was unreal.
鈥淭he NBA needs to drug test all of them,鈥� he said, smiling. 鈥淚鈥檝e never ever seen nothing like that before.鈥�
New York鈥檚 defense left Boston鈥檚 shooters wide open on numerous occasions. The Celtics moved the ball quickly around the perimeter and the Knicks seemed out of position many times.
鈥淧ersonally, I鈥檝e got to be better,鈥� Knicks guard Jalen Brunson said. 鈥淲e can dissect everything, or whatever, but they made a lot of 3s. We have to be better on both sides of the ball. I have to be better on both sides of the ball.鈥�
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AP NBA:
By Ken Powtak, The Associated Press
